Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Obstinate or contemptuous resistance to authority; stubborn rebelliousness.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Wilful and persistent resistance to legitimate authority of any kind; unyielding disobedience; stubborn perverseness in an illegal or wrong course of action.
- noun Specifically In law, wilful disobedience to a lawful order of a judicial or legislative body, or wilful contempt of its authority; a refusal to appear in court when legally summoned.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun Stubborn perverseness; pertinacious resistance to authority.
- noun (Law) A willful contempt of, and disobedience to, any lawful summons, or to the rules and orders of court, as a refusal to appear in court when legally summoned.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun
disobedience ,resistance toauthority
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun obstinate rebelliousness and insubordination; resistance to authority
- noun willful refusal to appear before a court or comply with a court order; can result in a finding of contempt of court
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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“Yes, yes,” continued the Frenchwoman, with angry volubility, “what has she done that you call contumacy and disrespect?
The Evil Guest 2003
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Presumptive contumacy occurs when there is a strong presumption, though it is not certain, that the citation was served.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 4: Clandestinity-Diocesan Chancery 1840-1916 1913
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As he resisted all Davies's attempts to enlighten him, and met his master's threats with a stedfastness which these friends to liberty called contumacy, the alternative was dismissal from his present service, without any remuneration for his past.
The Loyalists, Vol. 1-3 An Historical Novel Jane West 1805
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Bread and the circus are freely given to the deserving, and as for the undeserving, they are merely reaping the rewards of their contumacy and pride.
A REVIEW 2010
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For I felt certain that whatever it was that they professed, their contumacy and inflexible obstinancy obviously demanded punishment.
The Roman Empire, the Early Christian Martyrs and a Thought about the Martyrology 2009
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Now there is a problem in that the Framers did not include a power to punish for contumacy.
The Volokh Conspiracy » The proper understanding of “Necessary and Proper”: 2009
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Punishment for refusing to comply with a court order, such as an injunction against violation of a regulation or operating without a license, is a different power, the power to punish for contumacy, not a necessary and implied power of the Commerce Clause.
The Volokh Conspiracy » The proper understanding of “Necessary and Proper”: 2009
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Now there is a problem in that the Framers did not include a power to punish for contumacy.
The Volokh Conspiracy » The proper understanding of “Necessary and Proper”: 2009
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Punishment for refusing to comply with a court order, such as an injunction against violation of a regulation or operating without a license, is a different power, the power to punish for contumacy, not a necessary and implied power of the Commerce Clause.
The Volokh Conspiracy » The proper understanding of “Necessary and Proper”: 2009
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He is, therefore, summoned to their presence, and prompt obedience will insure him forgiveness; but in case of contumacy, let him beware how he again essays either the lyre or the pallet.
Saint Ronan's Well 2008
yarb commented on the word contumacy
Madam, answered I, you have but to command me. Give me my commission on your muster-roll, and you shall have no reason to complain either of my cowardice or contumacy.
- Lesage, The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, tr. Smollett, bk 4 ch. 7
September 18, 2008