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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

Etymology

Origin of defiance

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

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

That defiance underscores the central gamble of Washington’s strategy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

It was a tiny but poignant act of defiance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

“While the government withheld funding in defiance of its obligations, children were left to face deportation proceedings alone, and some potentially returned to the very abuse, persecution, and danger they fled,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

Call it kitsch or outright ghastliness, but it’s all in defiance of a simple, stubborn truth: Death cannot be overcome.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Guilt surges through my body as my aunt speaks, but so does defiance.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

Sylvia Jablonski, chief investment officer at Defiance ETFs, said the market was “reacting to the strategic implications rather than the near-term commercial impact.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

A proxy for that is the Defiance Large Cap ex-Mag 7 ETF, which I wrote about at its launch in October 2024 and which owns all the stocks in the S&P 500 except those seven.

From Barron's ● Mar. 5, 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

On that first day of the Defiance Campaign, more than 250 volunteers around the country violated various unjust laws and were imprisoned.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

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