recalcitrant
/ɹɪˈkæl.sɪ.tɹənt/adjective, noun
recalcitrant is spelled R-E-C-A-L-C-I-T-R-A-N-T: 12 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 49,949th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, recalcitrant means “Marked by a stubborn unwillingness to obey authority” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in recalcitrant?
| Letters | 12: R-E-C-A-L-C-I-T-R-A-N-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 49,949th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is recalcitrant?
Recalcitrant appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 49,949th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce recalcitrant?
- /ɹɪˈkæl.sɪ.tɹənt/
Recalcitrant has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-recalcitrant.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of recalcitrant
- more recalcitrant comparative
- most recalcitrant superlative
- recalcitrants plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does recalcitrant mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Marked by a stubborn unwillingness to obey authority.
- 2
Unwilling to cooperate socially.
- 3
Difficult to deal with or to operate.
The Hansa had no legal status, independent finances or a common institutional framework, while the major weapon against recalcitrant members (or opponents) was the threat of embargo.
- 4
Not viable for an extended period; damaged by drying or freezing.
noun
- 1
A person who is recalcitrant.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Recalcitrant in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | rebelle, récalcitrant |
| German | widerspenstig, störrisch, bockig, aufsässig, trotzig, renitent |
| Spanish | recalcitrante, contumaz , recalcitrante, contumaz |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does recalcitrant come from?
Borrowed from French récalcitrant, in derived from Latin recalcitrāns, recalcitrantis, present participle of recalcitrō, recalcitrāre (“be disobedient, kick back [as a horse]”), from calx (“heel”), 1820s.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).