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. KubiskeExamples 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
But general director Lawrence Edelson struck a note of defiance in his opening remarks on Friday, to cheers.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
The Maryland sheet metal worker was released from prison in El Salvador and put on a plane back to the U.S. two months after he was deported to his homeland in defiance of an order not to return him there for fear of persecution, ABC News first reported.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 6 June 2025
From city halls to public monuments, these acts of defiance come in the face of increasingly common legislative efforts to limit or ban pride flag displays on government property.
—Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Gyaltsen Norbu was installed by Beijing as the 11th Panchen Lama in 1995 in defiance of the religion’s highest authority the Dalai Lama, whose pick for the role — a six-year-old boy — has since vanished from public view.
—Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for defiance
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Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
The Maryland sheet metal worker was released from prison in El Salvador and put on a plane back to the U.S. two months after he was deported to his homeland in defiance of an order not to return him there for fear of persecution, ABC News first reported.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 6 June 2025
From city halls to public monuments, these acts of defiance come in the face of increasingly common legislative efforts to limit or ban pride flag displays on government property.
—Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Gyaltsen Norbu was installed by Beijing as the 11th Panchen Lama in 1995 in defiance of the religion’s highest authority the Dalai Lama, whose pick for the role — a six-year-old boy — has since vanished from public view.
—Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Cite this Entry
“Defiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defiance. Accessed 12 Jun. 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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