recreant
/ˈɹɛkɹɪənt/
"recreant" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“recreant” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Having admitted defeat and surrendered; defeated.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | recreant |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈɹɛkɹɪənt/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “recreant” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
recreant is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈɹɛkɹɪənt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for recreant, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English recreaunt, from Anglo-Norman and Middle French recreant (“defeated”), from recroire (“to yield in a trial by combat, surrender allegiance”). Compare miscreant. The correct English form is recreant, spelled R-E-C-R-E-A-N-T.
Definition
- 1Having admitted defeat and surrendered; defeated.
- 2Unfaithful to someone, or to one's duties or honour; disloyal, false.
Etymology
From Middle English recreaunt, from Anglo-Norman and Middle French recreant (“defeated”), from recroire (“to yield in a trial by combat, surrender allegiance”). Compare miscreant.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “recreant”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is R-E-C-R-E-A-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɹɛkɹɪənt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.