recalcitrant

[ ri-kal-si-truhnt ]

adjective

1. resisting authority or control; not obedient or compliant; refractory.

   Synonyms: opposed, rebellious, resistant

2. hard to deal with, manage, or operate.

noun

1. a recalcitrant person.

recalcitrant

/ rɪˈkælsɪtrənt /

adjective

1. not susceptible to control or authority; refractory

noun

1. a recalcitrant person

Derived Forms

• reˈcalcitrance, noun

Other Words From

• re·calci·trance re·calci·tran·cy noun
• nonre·calci·trance noun
• nonre·calci·tran·cy noun
• nonre·calci·trant adjective
• unre·calci·trant adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of recalcitrant¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of recalcitrant¹

C19: via French from Latin recalcitrāre , from re- + calcitrāre to kick, from calx heel

Synonym Study

See unruly.

Example Sentences

The partial oil ban is meaningful because it is something where nothing was before, and because getting recalcitrant and pro-Kremlin Hungary to agree to anything is remarkable.

From Time

For especially recalcitrant cases, some resort to the elemental diet, a liquid formula of predigested nutrients that gives the digestive tract a break, starving the bacteria or archaea in the process.

From Time

If he refuses then the captain is empowered to arrest the recalcitrant persons.

From Quartz

Pathological patterns like these typically emerge from a complex constellation of forces that align and feed each other in ways that make them unpredictable and recalcitrant.

From Time

Materials documenting how to grow the recalcitrant orange fungus were essentially nonexistent in the English language until Padilla-Brown published his first cultivation guide in 2017.

From Outside Online

The first hint of the double-toilet-style operations issues came as the recalcitrant fifth Olympic ring refused to open.

From The Daily Beast

“The issue of the recalcitrant National Guards is being worked at very high levels,” he said.

From The Daily Beast

There is ample precedent in history for change being forced upon recalcitrant organizations from the outside.

From The Daily Beast

These willfully ignorant, recalcitrant obstructionists are doing the country a tremendous service.

From The Daily Beast

Shame and ostracism are not guaranteed to be effective; like the recalcitrant husband, Israel may indeed dig in.

From The Daily Beast

However, we always hope the next will prove less recalcitrant; in which faith we advance trembling.

From Project Gutenberg

Gloria looked around at those who remained recalcitrant and concentrated her gaze on Stevens.

From Project Gutenberg

It was from this Ireland of the darkness that the recalcitrant Ireland of the twentieth century arose.

From Project Gutenberg

These heartening recollections made me forget the loss of Twist, the recalcitrant cow, and the dilemma that confronted me.

From Project Gutenberg

In most instances the recalcitrant part of the provincial populations prevailed.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• fractious
• obstinate
• rebellious
• unruly
• wayward