as in persistence
a steadfast adherence to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
without the pertinacity of the suffragists, voting rights for women would never have become a reality
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pertinacity
Noun
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Rye and apple brandy are fast friends—the apple brandy adding an autumnal echo to rye’s grainy persistence.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
24 Jan. 2026 -
Passion and persistence powered the effort.—
Gary Drenik,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The Home Service Insurance segment experienced a decline in premiums, attributed to strategic actions to improve sales quality and persistency, as well as economic pressures such as inflation.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
13 Mar. 2025
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The tannins are well structured yet soft and the wine has great persistency in the finish.—
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen,
Robb Report,
2 May 2023
Noun
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The White House does not seem to have a workaround to Putin’s obstinacy, and Rubio told Hannity that all other parties seeking to end the conflict are hopeless.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Dec. 2025
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The gaps between Kyiv and Moscow remain too explicit, and their reasons for obstinacy too drenched in sacrifice, anxiety and blood.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
28 Nov. 2025
Noun
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There is genius in Tomlin’s stubbornness.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
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The Dilbert principle — traced back to a quote in a 1995 strip — posited that managers and higher-ups are actually successful morons whose stubbornness is confused for real leadership qualities.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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China has gained, not suffered, from this obduracy.—
JONATHAN A. CZIN,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Nov. 2025
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Related: ‘Neglected diseases’ are anything but neglected by the billion-plus people living with them One possible reason for this obduracy is that noma begins as a dental disease, and dental diseases have long been underappreciated global health concerns.—
John Button,
STAT,
16 Dec. 2023
Noun
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Yet even Smith’s dismissal doesn’t lead to the quick finale most are expecting, with Brydon Carse and Will Jacks showing the doggedness and determination that England have lacked so often in the series.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
21 Dec. 2025
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Netflix's latest crime drama is resonant and relentless, offering audiences a sweaty, anxious look at doggedness and sacrifice in the face of a cruel, indifferent economy.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Afterward, Rubio apparently described his intransigence to Trump, and the summit was quickly cancelled.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
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But this outcome is more the product of Putin’s intransigence than European diplomacy.—
Matthias Matthijs,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Trump is right to place it at the center of America’s Arctic strategy, and Washington should have the resolve to follow through.—
Paul McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
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Regina tightened the belt of her robe, as if to emphasize her sudden resolve.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Pertinacity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pertinacity. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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