recalcitrant
- Stubbornly resistant to authority, control, or instruction; refusing to comply even when pressured.
In a sentence
- The recalcitrant student refused to follow the new classroom rules despite repeated warnings.
- Negotiators struggled to reach an agreement with the recalcitrant faction that rejected every proposal.
Usage note. Recalcitrant implies active, stubborn resistance rather than mere passivity; it is stronger than 'reluctant' and often suggests the subject has the capacity to comply but simply will not.
Where it comes from
English recalcitrant · entered English mid-19th c.
From Latin recalcitrans, present participle of recalcitrare ('to kick back'), composed of re- ('back') and calcitrare ('to kick'), from calx/calcis ('heel'). It entered English in the mid-19th century, initially used of unruly animals and quickly extended to obstinate people.