defiance
open resistance or bold disobedience toward authority or opposition
Word origin: From Old French desfiance, a challenge, from desfier, to renounce faith in.
Defiance in a sentence
Here are example sentences showing defiance in a sentence.
She wore traditional dress to the ceremony in defiance of the new dress code.
In open defiance of the curfew, thousands of demonstrators filled the square after dark.
Quick GRE check
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Verbal · Sentence Equivalence
Reviewers noted that the novelist, once known for blank prose, had pared her sentences down until scarcely a superfluous word remained.
Using “defiance” well
Defiance is bold, open resistance to authority, pairing with rebellion and insubordination. The rare synonym contumacy carries the same sense in legal or formal contexts.
More GRE words starting with D
to engage in something superficially or as a casual pastime
a raised platform for speakers or honored guests
to waste time or act without urgency
to make something slightly wet, or to make a feeling or reaction less strong
marked with spots or patches of color or light
to intimidate or discourage with fear or doubt
to move slowly or waste time idly
a scarcity or shortage of something
Questions about “defiance”
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