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recalcitrant

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The definition of recalcitrant is having behavior that is difficult to deal with and being uncooperative with authority.

(adjective)

An example of recalcitrant is a student who constantly defies the teacher in class.

See recalcitrant in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

refusing to obey authority, custom, regulation, etc.; stubbornly defiant
hard to handle or deal with

Origin: L recalcitrans, prp. of recalcitrare, to kick back (in LL, to disobey) < re-, back + calcitrare, to kick < calx, heel: see calcar

noun

a recalcitrant person

Related Forms:

recalcitrance noun or recalcitrancy
recalcitrantly adverb

See recalcitrant in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective

Marked by stubborn resistance to and defiance of authority or guidance. See Synonyms at unruly.

noun

A recalcitrant person.

Origin:

Origin: Late Latin recalcitrāns, recalcitrant-

Origin: , present participle of recalcitrāre, to be disobedient

Origin: , from Latin, to deny access

Origin: : re-, re-

Origin: + calcitrāre, to kick (from calx, calc-, heel)

Related Forms:

re·calˈci·trance, re·calˈci·tran·cy noun

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