Meaning & use
recalcitrant
Stubbornly resistant to authority or control; uncooperative.
See it in a sentence
The recalcitrant student refused to follow even the simplest classroom rules.
Negotiators struggled to reach an agreement with the recalcitrant union representatives.
A note on using this word
Recalcitrant is a formal word often used about someone resisting authority specifically, rather than just being generally stubborn.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
compliantcooperative
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