Stubbornly resistant to authority or control; refusing to obey rules or cooperate. A recalcitrant person or thing is difficult to manage or deal with.
From Latin recalcitrare meaning 'to kick back,' from re (back) and calcitrare (to kick), from calx (heel). Originally described a horse that kicks backward at its rider, the word expanded to describe any stubborn resistance to control.
Picture 're-KICK-itrant' — like a mule that keeps kicking back when you try to lead it forward. The image of an animal kicking with its heels perfectly captures the stubborn, backward-pushing resistance of recalcitrant behavior.
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