From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishrecalcitrantre‧cal‧ci‧trant /rɪˈkælsətrənt/ adjective formal DISOBEYrefusing to do what you are told to do, even after you have been punished SYN unruly a recalcitrant pupil —recalcitrance noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
recalcitrant• It was intended to pressure a recalcitrant attorney general into authorizing the appointment of an independent counsel by a designated court.• He left Malmo in his private jet without his recalcitrant caddie.• They went up the track with Piper dragging his heels like a recalcitrant child.• recalcitrant children• Discovering the way of course takes us back to your recalcitrant dealers.• We giggled as we struggled to fit the final recalcitrant eye into the final unbending hook.• Mayor Willie Brown, rather than accepting the challenge, shifted the onus back on recalcitrant neighbors.• For a fleeting moment Gina almost felt sorry for Hanne's recalcitrant son.• There were hopeful signs from one recalcitrant state.Origin recalcitrant (1800-1900) Late Latin present participle of recalcitrare “to refuse to obey”, from Latin calcitrare “to kick”, from calx “heel” 