defiance

noun

de·​fi·​ance di-ˈfī-ən(t)s 

dē-

1

: the act or an instance of defying : challenge

jailed for defiance of a court order

2

: disposition to resist : willingness to contend or fight

dealing with a child's defiance

see also:

in defiance of

Synonyms of defiance

• rebellion
• willfulness
• rebelliousness
• disrespect
• contrariness
• disobedience

Examples of defiance in a Sentence

any defiance of the authoritarian regime would have dire consequences

the troubled youth seems to have an ingrained defiance to authority of any sort

Recent Examples on the Web

The battle wasn't really over, though, as Jamie was shot and killed in a final act of defiance from the British. —Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026

Rather than performing as defiance against repression, Vahdat sees singing as an act of strength, resilience and self-protection. —Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 13 May 2026

His campaign is built around an appeal to mainstream Republicans, swing voters and old-school conservatives who see his defiance of Trump in 2020 as a mark of independence rather than betrayal. —Joe Kovac, AJC.com, 12 May 2026

Despite that effort, Hoskins and other Republican statewide officials enacted the map in defiance of decades of precedent. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 12 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English diffiaunce, defyaunce, borrowed from Anglo-French defiance, difiaunce, from defier, desfier "to renounce, challenge, defy entry 1" + -ance, -aunce -ance

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing defiance

• in defiance of

Rhymes for defiance

• science
• appliance
• compliance
• reliance
• geoscience
• neuroscience
• noncompliance
• pseudoscience

Kids Definition

defiance

noun

de·​fi·​ance di-ˈfī-ən(t)s 

1

: the act or an instance of defying : challenge

2

: a tendency to resist : contempt of opposition