defiance
noun
de·fi·ance di-ˈfī-ən(t)s 
dē-
1
: the act or an instance of defying : challenge
jailed for defiance of a court order
2
: disposition to resist : willingness to contend or fight
dealing with a child's defiance
Phrases
in defiance of : contrary to : despite
seemingly in defiance of the laws of physics
He returned to the pulpit May 22 in defiance of an order by church leaders banning him from television preaching for one year.
Daniel E. Kubiske
Daniel E. Kubiske
Synonyms
- balkiness
- contrariness
- contumacy
- disobedience
- frowardness
- insubordination
- intractability
- obstreperousness
- rebellion
- rebelliousness
- recalcitrance
- refractoriness
- unruliness
- waywardness
- willfulness
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
any defiance of the authoritarian regime would have dire consequences the troubled youth seems to have an ingrained defiance to authority of any sort
Recent Examples on the Web Rhaenyra’s streak of defiance carries over to Dragonstone, the Targaryen lands in Westeros. Angie Orellana Hernandez, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2022 Some couples consider going ahead with wedding celebrations as a display of defiance in the midst of death and destruction. Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2022 There was a feeling of defiance that inspired what felt like a perpetual bull run, the pieces of which now provide ample cannon-fodder for the cynics. Solo Ceesay, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2022 Taranenko says the tours represent a chance for Ukraine to highlight its citizens' spirit of defiance as well as showing the outside world that life goes on, even in a war. Silvia Marchetti, CNN, 9 Aug. 2022 In one recent gesture of defiance in Mariupol, a young man wrapped in a Ukrainian flag stood on a street next to the theater destroyed by Russian bombs. Yuras Karmanau And Hanna Arhirova, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Aug. 2022 As each wife — including the earnest Jane Seymour (Jasmine Forsberg) and the sultry-and-abused Katherine Howard (Didi Romero) — steps up with a number, the writers keep the tone varied without losing the overall mood of defiance. Celia Wren, Washington Post, 15 July 2022 Weakness in the property market has also led to public displays of defiance. New York Times, 14 July 2022 The act of defiance set the tone for the entire war, and in one of its many ironies, Ukrainian anti-ship missiles sunk Moskva a month later. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 6 July 2022 See More
Angie Orellana Hernandez, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2022 Some couples consider going ahead with wedding celebrations as a display of defiance in the midst of death and destruction. Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2022 There was a feeling of defiance that inspired what felt like a perpetual bull run, the pieces of which now provide ample cannon-fodder for the cynics. Solo Ceesay, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2022 Taranenko says the tours represent a chance for Ukraine to highlight its citizens' spirit of defiance as well as showing the outside world that life goes on, even in a war. Silvia Marchetti, CNN, 9 Aug. 2022 In one recent gesture of defiance in Mariupol, a young man wrapped in a Ukrainian flag stood on a street next to the theater destroyed by Russian bombs. Yuras Karmanau And Hanna Arhirova, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Aug. 2022 As each wife — including the earnest Jane Seymour (Jasmine Forsberg) and the sultry-and-abused Katherine Howard (Didi Romero) — steps up with a number, the writers keep the tone varied without losing the overall mood of defiance. Celia Wren, Washington Post, 15 July 2022 Weakness in the property market has also led to public displays of defiance. New York Times, 14 July 2022 The act of defiance set the tone for the entire war, and in one of its many ironies, Ukrainian anti-ship missiles sunk Moskva a month later. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 6 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English diffiaunce, defyaunce, borrowed from Anglo-French defiance, difiaunce, from defier, desfier "to renounce, challenge, defy entry 1" + -ance, -aunce -ance
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing defiance
Kids Definition
defiance
noun
de·fi·ance di-ˈfī-əns
1
: a refusal to obey
a defiance of the rule
2
: a willingness to resist Obedience school cured the dog of defiance.
defiance
noun
1
as in rebellion
refusal to obey any defiance of the authoritarian regime would have dire consequences Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- rebellion
- rebelliousness
- willfulness
- disobedience
- disrespect
- contrariness
- recalcitrance
- insubordination
- contumacy
- unruliness
- waywardness
- rudeness
- intractability
- stubbornness
- balkiness
- frowardness
- refractoriness
- noncooperation
- obstreperousness
- obstinacy
- obduracy
- pigheadedness
- perversity
- tenacity
- civil disobedience
- insolence
- impudence
- inconsiderateness
- ungraciousness
- inconsideration
- peevishness
- doggedness
- pertinacity
- impoliteness
- mischievousness
- tenaciousness
- naughtiness
- hardheadedness
- obdurateness
- impertinence
- self-will
- discourteousness
- mulishness
- obstinateness
- knavery
- pertinaciousness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- obedience
- subordination
- compliance
- submission
- subservience
- tractability
- agreeability
- submissiveness
- amiability
- slavishness
- subserviency
- amenability
- deference
- tractableness
- docility
- subordinateness
- dutifulness
- trainability
2
as in opposition
the inclination to resist the troubled youth seems to have an ingrained defiance to authority of any sort Synonyms & Similar Words
- opposition
- resistance
- objection
- protest
- disobedience
- remonstrance
- noncompliance
- demur
- recalcitrance
- compunction
- reservation
- misgiving
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- acquiescence
- compliance
- approval
- acceptance
- obedience
3
as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel a deeply troubled person who seemed the very soul of defiance Synonyms & Similar Words
- aggression
- aggressiveness
- hostility
- belligerence
- pugnacity
- militance
- belligerency
- bellicosity
- fight
- combativeness
- truculence
- militancy
- feistiness
- assaultiveness
- contentiousness
- scrappiness
- disputatiousness
- quarrelsomeness
- fierceness
- antagonism
- unfriendliness
- irritability
- petulance
- chip on one's shoulder
- militantness
- irritableness
- rudeness
- imperialism
- jingoism
- fractiousness
- militarism
- peevishness
- crossness
- surliness
- orneriness
- disagreeableness
- testiness
- querulousness
- irascibility
- fretfulness
- grumpiness
- grouchiness
- crankiness
- hyperaggressiveness
- huffiness
- captiousness
- pettishness
- waspishness
- biliousness
- irascibleness
- acidity
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- nonaggression
- pacifism
- benevolence
- gentleness
- friendliness
- graciousness
- geniality
- sociability
- amiability
- antimilitarism
- affability
- amicability
- complaisance
- mildness
- cordiality
- pleasantness
- kindliness
- antiaggression
- anti-imperialism
- amenability
- placability