intransigent

adjective

in·​tran·​si·​gent in-ˈtran(t)-sə-jənt How to pronounce intransigent (audio)
-ˈtran-zə
: characterized by refusal to compromise or to abandon an often extreme position or attitude : uncompromising
intransigent in their opposition
an intransigent attitude
intransigent noun
intransigently adverb

Did you know?

Intransigent comes from Spanish intransigente, meaning "uncompromising." Its root is transigir ("to compromise"), which is related to Latin transigere ("to come to an agreement"). The French have a similar verb, transiger, which also means "to compromise." Transigent as an opposite of intransigent has yet to become recognized as an acceptable word in the English language.

Examples of intransigent in a Sentence

He has remained intransigent in his opposition to the proposal. he has remained intransigent, refusing all suggestions for improvement of the process
Recent Examples on the Web Perhaps this news will encourage intransigent remote workers to give the office another chance. Byjane Thier, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2023 But cutting a deal then would have spared Biden having to negotiate later with intransigent House Republicans. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 3 Aug. 2023 To be sure, the Palestinians have historically been crippled by their own intransigent leadership. Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 July 2023 His administration has famously made an example of intransigent Huntington Beach, suing the Orange County city for violating state housing laws. Erika D. Smith, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2023 That moment of sharp relief, a clash with an intransigent foreign apparatchik by a young American president feeling his own way, comes to life in released on Wednesday. Peter Baker, New York Times, 31 May 2023 Weinberger, an architect of the military buildup and strategy of confrontation during Reagan’s first term, remained intransigent and distrustful of the Kremlin. David E. Hoffman, Washington Post, 11 Jan. 2023 Meanwhile, owners Bob and Jonathan Kraft felt a need to apologize to fans and are engaging in awkward conversations with an intransigent coach/legend who has surrounded himself with family and friends instead of the best football minds. Dan Shaughnessy, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Jan. 2023 The ruling came the day after an Ohio federal judge’s decision in a similar case, where intransigent Ohio election officials were ordered to allow multiple remote drop-off locations for voters wanting to hand-deliver their mail ballots to avoid postal delays. Bloomberg.com, 10 Oct. 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intransigent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Spanish intransigente, from in- + transigente, present participle of transigir to compromise, from Latin transigere to come to an agreement — more at transact

First Known Use

circa 1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of intransigent was circa 1879

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near intransigent

Cite this Entry

“Intransigent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intransigent. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on intransigent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!