Meaning & use
insistence
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Meanings
noununcountable
The act of demanding something firmly and not accepting refusal.
Grammar: Uncountable: say 'her insistence,' not 'an insistence'; use 'on' before a noun or -ing form.
Patterns
- insistence on something
- insistence on doing something
- someone's insistence that
- at someone's insistence
His insistence on paying for dinner made everyone uncomfortable.
She finally agreed, at her mother's insistence.
The manager's insistence that we arrive early caused some complaints.
noununcountable
The quality of continuing to say or believe something even when others disagree.
Grammar: Uncountable; often used with 'sheer' or 'stubborn': 'her sheer insistence.'
Patterns
- someone's insistence
- sheer insistence
- stubborn insistence
His insistence that he was right only made the argument worse.
There was a stubborn insistence in her voice that I could not ignore.
Despite everyone's doubts, his insistence never weakened.
Common combinations
- insistence on
- Her insistence on perfect timing annoyed the team.
- at someone's insistence
- At my father's insistence, we left early.
- someone's insistence that
- His insistence that we wait turned out to be wise.
- stubborn insistence
- Her stubborn insistence on the old method slowed us down.
Synonyms and how they differ
- demand
- Stronger and more direct; a demand is a clear request, while insistence focuses on the firm, repeated nature of the demand.
- pressure
- Suggests influence rather than a direct request; insistence is more about refusing to accept 'no.'
- persistence
- Focuses on continuing despite difficulty; insistence focuses on not accepting refusal.
Opposites
Word family
- insist verb
- To demand something firmly or say it must be true.
- insistent adjective
- Demanding something firmly and repeatedly.
- insistently adverb
- In a firm and repeated way.
Commonly confused: insistence or instance?
insistence vs instance
An 'instance' is an example or occasion; 'insistence' is the act of demanding firmly. They sound similar but are unrelated in meaning.
Practice
Her ____ on checking every detail made the project take longer.
Choose one answer.
'Insistence on' is the correct pattern for demanding something firmly. 'Instance' means an example; 'inside lane' and 'inner ring' are roads.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “insistence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.