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recusant
[ rek-yuh-zuhnt, ri-kyoo-zuhnt ]
/ ˈrɛk yə zənt, rɪˈkyu zənt /
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adjective
refusing to submit, comply, etc.
obstinate in refusal.
English History. refusing to attend services of the Church of England.
noun
a person who is recusant.
English History. a person, especially a Roman Catholic, who refused to attend the services of the Church of England.
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Origin of recusant
OTHER WORDS FROM recusant
un·rec·u·sant, adjectiveWords nearby recusant
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use recusant in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for recusant
recusant
/ (ˈrɛkjʊzənt) /
noun
(in 16th to 18th century England) a Roman Catholic who did not attend the services of the Church of England, as was required by law
any person who refuses to submit to authority
adjective
(formerly, of Catholics) refusing to attend services of the Church of England
refusing to submit to authority
Derived forms of recusant
recusance or recusancy, nounWord Origin for recusant
C16: from Latin recūsāns refusing, from recūsāre from re- + causārī to dispute, from causa a cause
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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