recusant 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of recusantnext
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control several recusant senators refused to vote as commanded by the party leadership

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

recusant

2 of 2

noun

as in resister

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of recusant
Noun
The uniform of the conformist — sports shirt, cardigan, tennis shoes — is as easily recognized as that of the recusant — dirty white T, sideburns, two days’ growth of beard. — Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, 15 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recusant
  1. rebellious
  2. resister
  3. rebel
  4. mutineer
  5. defiant
  6. challenger
  7. oppositionist
  8. insurgent
Adjective
  • This shift has moved in tandem with the growing dynamic of parliamentarians becoming more rebellious and less loyal to their leadership.
    — Garret Martin, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
  • John Mellencamp's rebellious spirit drives him Along with his status as blue-collar rocker, Mellencamp is also a respected artist.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of rebellious
Noun
  • In November 1971, Berkeley, California, became the first sanctuary city in the country when 12 local churches inspired the City Council to pass a resolution offering sanctuary to draft resisters.
    — Menika Dirkson, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Clemson resister Dabo Swinney has driven his program into the ground.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of resister
Adjective
  • Several officials of multiple rebel groups then came together to form the FLA.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
  • Earlier this week, the rebel group also threatened to blockade the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 24 July 2026
Definition of rebel
Noun
  • Pitcairn Island Pitcairn is British Overseas Territory in the South Pacific that was famously born from the last refuge of the Bounty mutineers, who arrived in 1789 with a small company of Tahitians.
    — Scott Laird, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2026
  • Pitcairn is well-known as the island on which Fletcher Christian and other British mutineers from the HMS Bounty took refuge after the 1789 events that toppled Capt.
    — Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Definition of mutineer
Adjective
  • Bea will play Julia Hanley, a defiant and magnetic Irish photographer who sees past Tom’s world-changing ambition to the man beneath it, redefining his life through love.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Aegon will have none of it and begins his rousing, defiant speech.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of defiant
Noun
  • With no Republican challenger, Rogers was able to devote much of the primary campaign to preparing for the fall general election.
    — Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Republican Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham leads Democratic challenger Benjamin Flores by 5 points.
    — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of challenger
Noun
  • Yesterday, in an effort to galvanize democratic forces, oppositionists announced the foundation of the Strategic Council of Republicans Inside Iran.
    — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is a Sunni Islamist umbrella group of oppositionist forces with ideological and organizational roots in al-Qaeda.
    — Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of oppositionist
Noun
  • An endorsement in this race could signal a preference for either the insurgent progressive wing of the party or for the more moderate establishment.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026
  • Hong, who has run as an insurgent candidate, tried to cast herself as the one who could bring together Republicans, Democrats, independents and democratic socialists.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 29 July 2026
Definition of insurgent

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“Recusant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recusant. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on recusant

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about recusant

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