defiance
/dɪˈfʌɪəns
/noun [mass noun]
Open resistance; bold disobedience: an act of defiance the demonstration was held in defiance of official warnings...
- The workers acted in defiance of a Labor Ministry order for mandatory conciliation.
- For one fleeting moment the world has acted together in defiance of the group, whose isolation is now exposed for all to see.
- School boards outside Toronto are also edging toward budgeting in defiance of provincial laws.
Synonyms
resistance, opposition, confrontation;
non-compliance, disobedience, insubordination, dissent, recalcitrance, subversion, subversiveness;
rebelliousness, mutinousness, provocation, daring, boldness, temerity, audacity, bravado, aggression;
contempt, disregard, scorn, insolence, truculence, contumacy
Origin
Middle English (denoting the renunciation of an allegiance or friendship): from Old French, from defier 'defy'.