Running away was an act of defiance against his parents.defiancede‧fi‧ance /dɪˈfaɪəns/ ●○○ noun [uncountable] 
Running away was an act of defiance against his parents.in defiance (of something) Many people were drinking in the streets, in flagrant defiance of the ban. Her fists clenched in defiance.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a look of hatred and defiance
- He is fighting for a second term and claims the support of other key nations in defiance of the Clinton administration.
- I had gone against their wishes in a public expression of defiance.
- Lee saw Anthea's eyes glittering blackly in the dancing candlelight, her chin drawn up in defiance or outrage.
- Now that Luke no longer wanted her, he wouldn't care about anything she did, so no action of hers constituted defiance.
- Over time, the AK-47 rose above its use as a weapon to become a symbol of defiance and liberation.
- She tries to work up a kind of defiance, an attitude.
- That act of defiance warmed her even now, just thinking of it.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Running away was an act of defiance against his parents.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
behaviour that shows you refuse to do what someone tells you to do, especially because you do not respect themact/gesture of defiance Running away was an act of defiance against his parents. (=when you refuse to obey or respect someone)· As an act of defiance Leigh dropped out of high school a month before graduation.
(=something done to show that you will not do what someone tells you to do)· The rebels launched an attack as a gesture of defiance.
Running away was an act of defiance against his parents.in defiance (of something) Many people were drinking in the streets, in flagrant defiance of the ban. Her fists clenched in defiance.