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

Yet for many observers, given Israel’s accelerating defiance of international norms and the world’s growing willingness to say so, the threshold may already have been crossed. —Ken Barnes, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026

But today, beachgoers continue to stroll, sunbathe and frolic buck naked on that stretch of sand, in defiance of the law. —Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026

Instead, her creation is an amalgam of disparate concepts, brought together in defiance of storytelling logic (and the opinions of test-screen audiences). —David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026

Despite the company’s defiance, Silicon Valley’s biggest players have remained silent. —Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 4 Mar. 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

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

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