Defiance
/dɪˈfaɪ.əns/noun
Open resistance or bold refusal to submit to authority, rules, or expectations.
Did you know?Defiance comes through Old French from a Latin verb meaning “to challenge” or “to renounce,” and in medieval legal language it could carry the force of a formal break with power.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
diffidare
“to renounce trust in, distrust, challenge”
Old French
OF
defier
“to defy, challenge, renounce allegiance to”
Middle English
English
defiaunce
“a challenge; a declaration of hostility or resistance”
Modern English
English
defiance
“open resistance or bold refusal to submit”
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