contumacy

UK: /ˈkɒntjʊməsɪ/ US: (kon′tŏŏ mə sē, -tyŏŏ-)

Inflections of 'contumacy' (n): npl: contumacies

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

con•tu•ma•cy  (kon′tŏŏ mə sē, -tyŏŏ-), n., pl. -cies. 

1. stubborn perverseness or rebelliousness;
   willful and obstinate resistance or disobedience to authority.

• Latin contumācia, equivalent. to contumāc-, stem of contumāx unyielding, stubborn (con- con- + -tum- of uncertain sense, though connected by classical authors with both contemnere to regard with contempt and tumēre to swell) + -āx adjective, adjectival suffix) + -ia -ia
• Middle English contumacie 1150–1200

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

contumacy / ˈkɒntjʊməsɪ/ noun ( -cies)

1. obstinate and wilful rebelliousness or resistance to authority; insubordination; disobedience
2. the wilful refusal of a person to appear before a court or to comply with a court order

Etymology: 14th Century: from Latin contumācia, from contumāx obstinate; related to tumēre to swell, be proud