renitent

[ri-nahyt-nt, ren-i-tuhnt]

adjective

1. resisting pressure; resistant.

2. persistently opposing; recalcitrant.

renitent

/ ˈrɛnɪtənt, rɪˈnaɪtənt /

adjective

1. reluctant; recalcitrant

2. not flexible

Other Word Forms

• renitency noun
• renitence noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of renitent¹

1695–1705; < Latin renītent- (stem of renītēns ), present participle of renītī to resist, equivalent to re- re- + nīt ( ī ) to strive, make an effort + -ent- -ent

Word History and Origins

Origin of renitent¹

C18: from Latin renītī to strive afresh, from _re- + nītī to endeavour

Example Sentences

Sister Ailan considered Taisin’s flushed face, her renitent posture.

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Some of them conceive of the breach of law as taking place without the employment of force; these teachings may be characterized as renitent.

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Renitent are the teachings of Tucker and Tolstoi: Tucker conceiving the breach of law chiefly as a refusal to pay taxes and rent and an infringement of the banking monopoly, Tolstoi especially as a refusal to do military, police, or jury service, and also to pay taxes.

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Then the shaver left the nose, for, as a tuft of hair in a hollow spot under the cheek-bone was renitent to the steel blade, he poked his thumb in his customer's mouth, swelled out the sunken spot and cleaned it beautifully.

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Adj. elastic, flexible, tensile, spring, resilient, renitent, buoyant; ductile, stretchable, extendable.

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