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recusant

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noun re·cu·sant \ -zənt \

Definition of recusant

1 :an English Roman Catholic of the time from about 1570 to 1791 who refused to attend services of the Church of England and thereby committed a statutory offense
2 :one who refuses to accept or obey established authority
—

recusant

adjective

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Origin and Etymology of recusant

Latin recusant-, recusans, present participle of recusare to reject, oppose, from re- + causari to give a reason, from causa cause, reason

Law Dictionary

recusant

adjective re·cu·sant \ ˈre-kyə-zənt, ri-ˈkyü- \

legal Definition of recusant

:refusing to submit to authority
  • the recusant witness failed to appear despite a subpoena
—

recusant

noun

Learn More about recusant

  1. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for recusant Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about recusant

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