Word a Day
recalcitrant
What does recalcitrant mean?
recalcitrant (adjective): marked by a stubborn unwillingness to obey authority.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you use recalcitrant in a sentence?
- He's a recalcitrant boy. (Tatoeba sentence #9728659 by shekitten, CC BY 2.0 FR)
How do you pronounce recalcitrant?
/ɹɪˈkælsɪtɹənt/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does recalcitrant come from?
Borrowed from French récalcitrant, in derived from Latin recalcitrāns, recalcitrantis, present participle of recalcitrō, recalcitrāre (“be disobedient, kick back”), from calx (“heel”), 1820s.
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “recalcitrant”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “recalcitrant” mean?
lacking something essential; often construed with in
Not quite: that's what deficient means.
increasing gradually by regular degrees or additions
Not quite: that's what incremental means.
marked by a stubborn unwillingness to obey authority
Right! That's what “recalcitrant” means.
unable for both to exist or be true at the same time
Not quite: that's what contradictory means.
Learn a word like “recalcitrant” every day
Word a Day for iPhone quizzes you on a few new words a day and brings each one back for review at growing intervals. Free, no account, no ads.
Coming soon to the App Store