recusant 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of recusantnext
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control several recusant senators refused to vote as commanded by the party leadership

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

recusant

2 of 2

noun

as in resister

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of recusant
Noun
The uniform of the conformist — sports shirt, cardigan, tennis shoes — is as easily recognized as that of the recusant — dirty white T, sideburns, two days’ growth of beard. — Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, 15 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recusant
  1. rebellious
  2. resister
  3. rebel
  4. mutineer
  5. defiant
  6. challenger
  7. oppositionist
  8. insurgent
Adjective
  • Crafted with a classic fit, the leather jacket added unexpected tensions to Watts’s Q&A attire, a contrasting piece that incorporated a rebellious and youthful energy.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The duo leaned all the way into the era’s punk-rock aesthetic, serving the kind of rebellious, perfectly undone style that practically defined the early aughts.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebellious
Noun
  • In November 1971, Berkeley, California, became the first sanctuary city in the country when 12 local churches inspired the City Council to pass a resolution offering sanctuary to draft resisters.
    — Menika Dirkson, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Clemson resister Dabo Swinney has driven his program into the ground.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of resister
Adjective
  • Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Kosovo on Thursday in the biggest nationwide protest yet against recent war crimes convictions for four of its wartime rebel leaders.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
  • De la Espriella, who was elected in June, has suspended talks with rebel groups and has taken an iron-fist approach to crime.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebel
Noun
  • Analysts say the clashes at the Base 101 at the Niamey international airport could have gone either way because of the mutineers’ determination and large numbers until the Russian troops stepped in.
    — Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The fate of the mutineers was not immediately clear and authorities did not disclose any charges against them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of mutineer
Adjective
  • Roy Cosby is charged with terroristic threats, defiant trespass, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
    — Jennifer Borrasso, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Messi’s quiet reserve, so at odds with Maradona’s defiant swagger, fueled doubts about his patriotism.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of defiant
Noun
  • Questions remain over how the Premier League could create competitive balance, given the vast differences in spending ability between its biggest clubs and smaller challengers.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The abundance of peep toes and funky shapes on the runway can be partly credited to a new wave of challenger brands, raising the bar for fresh, off-kilter footwear.
    — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of challenger
Noun
  • Yesterday, in an effort to galvanize democratic forces, oppositionists announced the foundation of the Strategic Council of Republicans Inside Iran.
    — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is a Sunni Islamist umbrella group of oppositionist forces with ideological and organizational roots in al-Qaeda.
    — Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of oppositionist
Noun
  • They’re seen as oligarchs, as the people with wealth and power, controlling our lives—not as outsider insurgents.
    — Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Others look further back to early and sporadic insurgent activity in 1964, before the UDI, or to 1965, the year of the UDI (November 11) itself.
    — Chinatsu Tsuji, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of insurgent

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Cite this Entry

“Recusant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recusant. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on recusant

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about recusant

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