defiance
noun
de·fi·ance
di-ˈfī-ən(t)s 
dē-
Phrases
in defiance of
: contrary to : despite
seemingly in defiance of the laws of physics
He returned to the pulpit May 22 in defiance of an order by church leaders banning him from television preaching for one year.—
Daniel E. Kubiske
Daniel E. KubiskeExamples 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
Across the region, game rooms investigated by law enforcement authorities remain open in defiance of warnings and criminal complaints.
—Josh Salman, Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
Abrego was ultimately returned to the U.S. on June 6, following a contentious back-and-forth between the court and the Trump administration that raised concerns about defiance of the judicial branch.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 3 July 2025
But in 1995, years after the death of the 10th Panchen Lama, Beijing upended tradition by installing its own Panchen Lama in defiance of the Dalai Lama, whose pick for the role – a six-year-old boy – has since vanished from public view.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 3 July 2025
Not long after, powerful Tennessee lawmakers proposed legislation to allow public schools not to enroll undocumented immigrant children in defiance of a 43-year-old U.S. Supreme Court decision.
—David Plazas, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for defiance
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Josh Salman, Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
Abrego was ultimately returned to the U.S. on June 6, following a contentious back-and-forth between the court and the Trump administration that raised concerns about defiance of the judicial branch.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 3 July 2025
But in 1995, years after the death of the 10th Panchen Lama, Beijing upended tradition by installing its own Panchen Lama in defiance of the Dalai Lama, whose pick for the role – a six-year-old boy – has since vanished from public view.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 3 July 2025
Not long after, powerful Tennessee lawmakers proposed legislation to allow public schools not to enroll undocumented immigrant children in defiance of a 43-year-old U.S. Supreme Court decision.
—David Plazas, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Cite this Entry
“Defiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defiance. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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