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• defiance
  defiance

  noun

  a daring or bold resistance to authority or to any opposing force.
• Defiance
  Defiance

  noun

  a city in NW Ohio.

defiance

¹ American  

[dih-fahy-uhns] / dɪˈfaɪ əns /

noun

1. a daring or bold resistance to authority or to any opposing force.

2. open disregard; contempt (often followed byof ).

   defiance of danger; His refusal amounted to defiance.

3. a challenge to meet in combat or in a contest.

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idioms

1. bid defiance to, to offer resistance; defy.

2. in defiance of, in spite of; notwithstanding.

   There was a splendid audience in defiance of the rainstorm.

Defiance ² American  

[dih-fahy-uhns] / dɪˈfaɪ əns /

noun

1. a city in NW Ohio.

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defiance British  

/ dɪˈfaɪəns /

noun

1. open or bold resistance to or disregard for authority, opposition, or power

2. a challenging attitude or behaviour; challenge

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defiance More Idioms  

1. see in defiance of.

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Other Word Forms

• nondefiance
  noun
• predefiance
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of defiance

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French; equivalent to defy + -ance

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Explanation

Stand up when the powers that be order you to sit down, and you've given a fine example of defiance. It happens when someone or a group of someones openly flouts or challenges authority. Refusing to go to bed when your parents tell you to? That's an act of defiance. Defiance comes from French — specifically to the Old French word defier, which means "to defy." (Don't mix it up with deify; that means to make someone or something into a god.) If you've ever studied Latin, you'll spot the fi in fidare, "to trust."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

defiance Defiance

"We have to show our true colours, that there is defiance and pride in us, desire, willingness, togetherness, these things cannot be lost overnight."

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

Bardella's defiance indicated that he hopes to ride out the crisis, with his future depending on whether Mediapart has more allegations in the pipeline and above all, Le Pen herself.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

Whether the confiscation was a security snafu or a defiance of the court order remains to be seen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

If there were any time to turn our noses up in defiance and refuse to engage with anything less than quality, it’s now.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

It had challenge in it, and defiance, and excitement.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

I also mentioned an exchange-trade fund called Defiance Quantum, which is up 107% since then, versus 27% for the S&P 500.

From Barron's ● May 29, 2026

These are the largest 15 holdings of the Defiance Connective Technologies ETF:

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 27, 2026

The following excerpt is adapted from Chapter 3 of Tyler’s memoir, Stitching Freedom: A True Story of Injustice, Defiance, and Hope, published by One Signal Publishers and set for release on Tuesday.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2025

Defiance Daily Target 2X Long RGTI, which aims to double the daily return of quantum-computer firm Rigetti Computing, is up roughly 1,000%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2025

About ten thousand people were in attendance, and I told the crowd that the Defiance Campaign would be the most powerful action ever undertaken by the oppressed masses in South Africa.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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Related Words

• confrontation
• contempt
• opposition
• provocation
• rebellion
• spite

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