recalcitrance
stubborn resistance to authority or control
Roots
- re-: back, again, or backward motion
- recalcitr / calx: kick back, heel, or stubborn resistance
Other words with the recalcitr / calx root
- recalcitrant: stubbornly resistant to authority or control
- recalcitrate: to kick back or resist stubbornly
Recalcitrance is the state of kicking back against control.
The child’s recalcitrance turned a five-minute chore into a family negotiation.