Meaning & use
recalcitrant
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivebefore a nounformaldisapproving
Stubbornly refusing to obey authority, rules, or control.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: a recalcitrant student; predicative use is possible but less common.
Patterns
- a recalcitrant person
- recalcitrant behavior
- remain recalcitrant
The teacher asked for advice about one recalcitrant class.
Recalcitrant employees ignored the new safety rule.
The committee remained recalcitrant despite clear evidence.
Common combinations
- recalcitrant child
- The article discussed how to guide a recalcitrant child without shouting.
- recalcitrant attitude
- His recalcitrant attitude made group work difficult.
- remain recalcitrant
- After several warnings, the supplier remained recalcitrant.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stubborn
- Stubborn is broader and can describe any fixed refusal; recalcitrant stresses resistance to authority or control.
- uncooperative
- Uncooperative is milder and everyday; recalcitrant sounds formal and stronger.
- defiant
- Defiant emphasizes open challenge, while recalcitrant can be quietly and persistently resistant.
Opposites
Word family
- recalcitrance noun
- formal noun for stubborn resistance to authority.
Commonly confused: recalcitrant or reluctant?
recalcitrant vs reluctant
Reluctant means unwilling or hesitant; recalcitrant means actively resisting control, often in defiance.
Practice
Choose the best word: After repeated warnings, the ____ tenant still refused entry to the inspector.
Choose one answer.
Repeated refusal after warnings shows resistance to authority. Reluctant means hesitant, not openly resistant; fragile and timid do not fit refusal.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “recalcitrant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.