different between recalcitrant vs rebel

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French récalcitrant, from Latin recalcitr?ns, recalcitrantis, present participle of recalcitr?, recalcitr?re (“be disobedient, kick back [as a horse]”), from calx (“heel”), 1820s.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.?kæl.s?.t??nt/

Adjective

recalcitrant (comparative more recalcitrant, superlative most recalcitrant)

1. Marked by a stubborn unwillingness to obey authority.
   • 1908, Edith Wharton, "In Trust" in The Hermit and the Wild Woman and Other Stories:

     His nimble fancy was recalcitrant to mental discipline.

   • 1914, P. G. Wodehouse, "Death at the Excelsior":

     There was something in her manner so reminiscent of the school teacher reprimanding a recalcitrant pupil that Mr. Snyder's sense of humor came to his rescue.

   • 1959 June 8, "Kenya: The Hola Scandal," Time:

     Kenya's official "Cowan Plan," named after a colonial prison administrator, decreed that recalcitrant prisoners "be manhandled to the site and forced to carry out the task."

2. Unwilling to cooperate socially.
3. Difficult to deal with or to operate.
   • 2003, Robert G. Wetzel, Solar radiation as an ecosystem modulator, in E. Walter Helbling, Horacio Zagarese (editors), UV Effects in Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems, page 13:

     The more labile organic constituents of complex dissolved and particulate organic matter are commonly hydrolyzed and metabolized more rapidly than more recalcitrant organic compounds that are less accessible enzymatically.

   • 2004, Derek W. Urwin, Germany: From Geographical Expression to Regional Accommodation, in Michael Keating (editor), Regions and Regionalism in Europe, page 47:

     The Hansa had no legal status, independent finances or a common institutional framework, while the major weapon against recalcitrant members (or opponents) was the threat of embargo.

   • 2006, Janet Pierrehumbert, Syllable structure and word structure: a study of triconsonantal clusters in English, in Patricia A. Keating (editor), Phonological Structure and Phonetic Form, page 179:

     Particularly recalcitrant examples which made it impossible to remove actual words while maintaining the balance of the set were resolved by altering a consonant in the base word to create a new base form.

   • 2010, Brian J. Hall, John C. Hall, Sauer's Manual of Skin Diseases, page 251:

     However, when a clinician is faced with a more recalcitrant case, it is important to remember to ask the patient whether psychological, social, or occupational stress might be contributing to the activity of the skin disorder.
4. (botany, of seed, pollen, spores) Not viable for an extended period; damaged by drying or freezing.

Synonyms

• (stubbornly unwilling to obey authority): argumentative, disobedient
• (difficult to operate or deal with): stubborn, unruly, adversarial, obstreperous, intransigent

See also Thesaurus:obstinate

Antonyms

• (stubbornly unwilling to obey authority): compliant, obedient
• (difficult to operate or deal with): amenable, cooperative, eager
• (not viable for long period): orthodox

Derived terms

• recalcitrance
• recalcitrancy
• recalcitrantly

Translations

Noun

recalcitrant (plural recalcitrants)

1. A person who is recalcitrant.

Translations

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French récalcitrant, from Middle French recalcitrant, from Latin recalcitr?ns.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?re?.k?l.si?tr?nt/
• Hyphenation: re?cal?ci?trant
• Rhymes: -?nt

Adjective

recalcitrant (comparative recalcitranter, superlative recalcitrantst)

1. recalcitrant

   Synonym: weerspannig

Inflection

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /re?kal.ki.trant/, [r??kä??k?t??än?t?]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /re?kal.t??i.trant/, [r??k?l??t??it???n?t?]

Verb

recalcitrant

1. third-person plural present active indicative of recalcitr?

Romanian

Etymology

From French récalcitrant.

Adjective

recalcitrant m or n (feminine singular recalcitrant?, masculine plural recalcitran?i, feminine and neuter plural recalcitrante)

1. recalcitrant

Declension

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English rebel, rebell, from Old French rebelle, from Latin rebellis (“waging war again; insurgent”), from rebell? (“I wage war again, fight back”), from re- (“again, back”) + bell? (“I wage war”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: r?b??l, IPA^(key): /???b?l/

Noun

rebel (plural rebels)

1. A person who resists an established authority, often violently
2. (US) A person from the Confederate States of America

Related terms

• rebellion
• rebellious

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English rebellen, from Old French rebeller, from Latin rebell? (“I wage war again, fight back”), from re- (“again, back”) + bell? (“I wage war”). Doublet of revel.

Pronunciation

• (URP) enPR: r?-b?l?, IPA^(key): /???b?l/
• Rhymes: -?l

Verb

rebel (third-person singular simple present rebels, present participle rebelling, simple past and past participle rebelled)

1. (intransitive) To resist or become defiant toward an authority.

Synonyms

• defy

Antonyms

• obey
• submit

Translations

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin rebellis.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /r??b?l/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /re?b?l/

Adjective

rebel (masculine and feminine plural rebels)

1. rebellious
2. persistent, stubborn

Noun

rebel m or f (plural rebels)

1. rebel

Related terms

• rebel·lar-se

Further reading

• “rebel” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Czech

Noun

rebel m

1. rebel

Synonyms

• povstalec m

Dutch

Etymology

From Old French rebelle, from Latin rebellis (“waging war again; insurgent”), from rebell? (“I wage war again, fight back”), from re- (“again, back”) + bell? (“I wage war”).

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: re?bel

Noun

rebel m (plural rebellen, diminutive rebelletje n)

1. rebel

Synonyms

• opstandeling

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old French rebelle, from Latin rebellis.

Alternative forms

• rebell, rebelle, rabell, reble, rebul, rebyll

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?r?b?l/, /?r?b?l/, /?r??b?l/

Noun

rebel (plural rebels or rebelx)

1. A sinner (as one who rebels against a deity)
2. (Late Middle English) A rebel (combatant against the extant government)
3. (Late Middle English) One who refuses to follow directives or regulations; a rulebreaker.
4. (Late Middle English, rare) An uprising or revolt against one's authorities.
5. (Late Middle English, rare) One's opponent; an opposing individual.

Derived terms

• rebellen
• rebellioun
• rebellious
• rebelnes
• rebelloure
• rebellyng
• rebelte

Descendants

• English: rebel
• Scots: rebel

References

• “rebel, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-09-16.
• “rebel, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-09-16.

Adjective

rebel

1. Revolting, treasonous, rebelling; leading an insurrection or fighting authorities.
2. Sinful, iniquitous; defying the words or commands of a divine authority.
3. Showing disobedience, undutiful; refusing to follow orders, laws, or rules.
4. (rare) Refractory, set in one's ways or opinions.
5. (rare) Impatient, overly hurried or quick.

References

• “rebel, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-09-16.

Etymology 2

From Old French rebeller.

Verb

rebel

1. Alternative form of rebellen

Romanian

Etymology

From French rebelle, from Latin Rebelle.

Adjective

rebel m or n (feminine singular rebel?, masculine plural rebeli, feminine and neuter plural rebele)

1. rebel, insurgent

Declension