recalcitrant
Americanadjective
-
resisting authority or control; not obedient or compliant; refractory.
- Synonyms:
- opposed, rebellious, resistant
-
hard to deal with, manage, or operate.
noun
adjective
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012noun
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Related Words
See unruly.
Other Word Forms
- nonrecalcitrance noun
- nonrecalcitrancy noun
- nonrecalcitrant adjective
- recalcitrance noun
- recalcitrancy noun
- unrecalcitrant adjective
Etymology
Origin of recalcitrant
First recorded in 1835–45; from Latin recalcitrant- (stem of recalcitrāns, present participle of recalcitrāre “to kick back”), equivalent to re- re- + calcitr(āre) “to strike with the heels, kick” (derivative of calx “heel”) + -ant- -ant
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Throughout his medical records, I can see glimpses of who my dad is, who he’s always been—a complex soul who can be both affable and combative, cooperative and recalcitrant, depending on his mood.
From Salon
Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a “recalcitrant” country in taking back its deportees.
From Washington Times
President Biden is not the first American chief executive to come up against recalcitrant governors and other officials willing to put their political interests ahead of the well-being of citizens.
From Washington Post
“It is unfortunate that the county has been recalcitrant,” Republican Sen. Warren Petersen, chair of the Judiciary Committee that issued subpoenas, said recently.
From Seattle Times
It’s vital that the vaccine recalcitrant among us do the right thing.
From Seattle Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
