recusancy

US: (rek′yə zən sē, ri ko̅o̅′-)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

rec•u•san•cy  (rek′yə zən sē, ri ko̅o̅′-), n. 

1. World History the state of being recusant.
2. World History obstinate refusal or opposition.

• recus(ant) + -ancy 1555–65

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

rec•u•sant  (rek′yə zənt, ri kyo̅o̅′zənt), adj. 

1. refusing to submit, comply, etc.
2. obstinate in refusal.
3. World History [Eng. Hist.] refusing to attend services of the Church of England.

n. 

4. a person who is recusant.
5. World History [Eng. Hist.] a person, esp. a Roman Catholic, who refused to attend the services of the Church of England.

• Latin recūsant- (stem of recūsāns), present participle of recusāre to demur, object, equivalent. to re- re- + -cūsāre, verb, verbal derivative of causa cause; see -ant
• 1545–55

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

recusant / ˈrɛkjʊzənt/ noun

1. (in 16th to 18th century England) a Roman Catholic who did not attend the services of the Church of England, as was required by law
2. any person who refuses to submit to authority

adjective

1. (formerly, of Catholics) refusing to attend services of the Church of England
2. refusing to submit to authority

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin recūsāns refusing, from recūsāre from re- + causārī to dispute, from causa a cause

ˈrecusance, ˈrecusancy noun