defiance
noun
de·fi·ance
di-ˈfī-ən(t)s 
dē-
Phrases
in defiance of
: contrary to : despite
seemingly in defiance of the laws of physics
He returned to the pulpit May 22 in defiance of an order by church leaders banning him from television preaching for one year.—
Daniel E. Kubiske
Daniel E. KubiskeSynonyms
Examples of defiance in a Sentence
any defiance of the authoritarian regime would have dire consequences
the troubled youth seems to have an ingrained defiance to authority of any sort
Recent Examples on the Web
The city was forced to padlock the doors in the face of such defiance of rules and regulations.
—Siobhan McLaughlin, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2025
Silicon Valley Workers Quietly Protest: As Mark Zuckerberg and other tech titans have embraced President Trump and muffled internal dissent at their companies, their mostly left-leaning employees have objected with subtle acts of defiance.
—Mike Isaac, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2025
This moment of defiance was set against the backdrop of President Trump's recent economic moves, which included imposing a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, as well as a 10% tariff on goods from China.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
The expert even mentioned that the musicians at the camp would sometimes play marching music by U.S. composer John Philip Sousa as a symbol of their defiance.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for defiance 
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Siobhan McLaughlin, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2025
Silicon Valley Workers Quietly Protest: As Mark Zuckerberg and other tech titans have embraced President Trump and muffled internal dissent at their companies, their mostly left-leaning employees have objected with subtle acts of defiance.
—Mike Isaac, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2025
This moment of defiance was set against the backdrop of President Trump's recent economic moves, which included imposing a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, as well as a 10% tariff on goods from China.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
The expert even mentioned that the musicians at the camp would sometimes play marching music by U.S. composer John Philip Sousa as a symbol of their defiance.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for defiance
Dictionary Entries Near defiance
Cite this Entry
“Defiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defiance. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
defiance
noun
de·fi·ance
di-ˈfī-ən(t)s
1
: the act or an instance of defying : challenge
2
: a tendency to resist : contempt of opposition
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