repugnancy

noun

re·​pug·​nan·​cy ri-ˈpəg-nən(t)-sē 

plural repugnancies

: repugnance

Examples of repugnancy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The images that traveled around the world of the diminutive clergyman clutching a Bible and facing off against soldiers with machine guns became among the most potent global symbols of apartheid’s moral repugnancy. —Ryan Lenora Brown, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Dec. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

repugnancy

noun

re·​pug·​nan·​cy ri-ˈpəg-nən-sē 

plural repugnancies

1

: the quality or fact of being inconsistent, irreconcilable, or in disagreement

specifically : a contradiction or inconsistency between sections of a legal instrument (as a contract or statute)

if two acts which cover the same subject matter are repugnant…, the latter operates to the extent of the repugnancy as a repeal of the former

—In re Miller, 107 F. Supp. 1006 (1952)

2

: an instance of contradiction or inconsistency