contumacy

noun

kən-ˈtü-mə-sē How to pronounce contumacy (audio)
Definition of contumacynext
as in rebellion
refusal to obey a rogue archbishop who was excommunicated on grounds of contumacy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contumacy
  1. rebellion
  2. defiance
  3. willfulness
  4. disobedience
  5. rebelliousness
  6. disrespect
Noun
  • The creators are describing the title as Inglourious Bastards, Quentin Tarantino’s down in the dirt revisionist World War Two movie, meets V for Vendetta, Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s anti-fascist British tale of rebellion.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • To pair the piece with Celine’s more tailored pieces like the trousers and blouse added a tonal contrast that still executed on its luxury aesthetic, though with a touch of rebellion.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • Taking the Long Way, more than anger or defiance, zeroes in on the sting of being ousted from your own home.
    — Shaad D’Souza, Pitchfork, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The other half is captured in DuVernay’s fascinating portrait of the Lost Cause — the culture of defiance and regret and literal whitewashing that came to represent the Southern consciousness of what life had been before the Civil War.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of defiance
Noun
  • From grandmother to grandchild, these three sets of two sisters were powerful characters possessed with passion, willfulness, bravery, and devotion to each other.
    — Griffin Dunne, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.
    — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of willfulness
Noun
  • After federal prosecutors and defense attorneys had presented all their evidence Tuesday, Morrow’s attorneys asked Orso to dismiss the three petty charges accusing her of obstruction, disruption and disobedience.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Another child said he was forced to carry out artillery strikes and beaten for disobedience.
    — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of disobedience
Noun
  • The stigma helped imprint a stamp of rebelliousness on the brand which lives on today, says Carpenter, even as Burton has become a fixture on resort slopes across the world and within the annals of Olympian history.
    — Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Whether writing five decades ago or today, the genre’s most insightful commentators have always observed how punk fuses rebelliousness with commodification, capitalism with resistance.
    — Kyle Devine, Longreads, 14 July 2026
Definition of rebelliousness
Noun
  • Nathan is offended and starts going on his usual rant about not tolerating disrespect toward his family.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
  • What readers are saying The comments express frustration and disappointment over the littering and disrespect shown by visitors to national parks, particularly Yellowstone.
    — Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of disrespect
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

contumacious
contumacy
contumelious
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Cite this Entry

“Contumacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contumacy. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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