recalcitrant
Americanadjective
-
resisting authority or control; not obedient or compliant; refractory.
- Synonyms:
- opposed, rebellious, resistant
-
hard to deal with, manage, or operate.
noun
adjective
noun
Related 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
Explanation
If someone is so pig-headed that he won't budge on an issue, call him recalcitrant. Not that it will make a difference... Recalcitrant is from Latin calcitrare, meaning "to kick," so someone who is recalcitrant is kicking back against what's wanted of them. Synonyms are unruly, intractable, and refractory, all referring to what is difficult to manage or control. Writers are frequently referring to recalcitrant Democrats and Republicans, since many people are stubbornly loyal to their political parties and unwilling to change.
Vocabulary lists containing recalcitrant
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Grade 12, List 4
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National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2
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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.
Ms. Goldstein imagines a sweet spot that allows us to “objectively distinguish between better and worse ways to satisfy the longing to matter” while being “expansive enough to accommodate us in all our recalcitrant diversity.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026
Bessent's comments come after he called India a "bit recalcitrant" on trade negotiations in an interview with Fox Business on Tuesday.
From BBC • Aug. 14, 2025
“The Justice Department covers the entire nation, and they have the resources to take on the most recalcitrant and stubborn state actors,” he explained.
From Slate • Jul. 5, 2025
“As a career law enforcement officer and a career officer with ICE, I’ve been dealing with these recalcitrant countries for years,” said acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2025
The most abundant isotope, U-238, was harder to nudge toward fission than to move a recalcitrant donkey, and it responded only to fast, or highly energetic, neutrons.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
