intransigent
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of intransigent
1875–80; < Spanish intransigente, equivalent to in- in- 3 + transigente (present participle of transigir to compromise) < Latin trānsigent- (stem of trānsigēns, present participle of trānsigere to come to an agreement); see transact
Explanation
Intransigent means inflexible, stubborn, entrenched. Argue all you like with an intransigent three-year-old. He will never back down from the position that he wants the lollipop NOW. Trans has to do with movement — think transportation, or a package in transit, i.e. "on the way." The in- of intransigent means "not," so something or someone who is intransigent is not moving. If one political party wants to raise funds to improve schools but the other is intransigent on the subject of higher taxes, the debate will get nowhere.
Vocabulary lists containing intransigent
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "I"
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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.
Another officer shouted at intransigent groups, "Let’s go! We are evacuating! Start moving!"
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
Both sides are frustratingly intransigent, but though Ms. Etura appears in only a few scenes, she makes Clara’s balance of anguish and guilt palpable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026
David Strover, head of Trading Standards, said: "We repeatedly advised this business to amend their labelling, but they were intransigent and failed to act on our advice."
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2024
Decency and sanity demand that we address these catastrophes, however massive and intransigent.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2024
In fact, the most intransigent got fed “the loaf” for the first few days.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
