contumacy

Contumacy — is a stubborn refusal to obey authority or, particularly in law, the wilful contempt of the order or summons of a court (see contempt of court.) The term is derived from the Latin word contumacia, meaning firmness or stubbornness.[1] In… …   Wikipedia

contumacy — con·tu·ma·cy /kən tü mə sē, tyü ; kän tə mə sē, tyə / n [Latin contumacia, literally, defiance, obstinacy]: willful disobedience of a court order con·tu·ma··cious /ˌkän tü mā shəs, tyü / adj Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster.… …   Law dictionary

Contumacy — Con tu*ma*cy, n.; pl. {Contumacies}. [L. contumacia, fr. contumax, acis, insolent; prob. akin to contemnere to despise: cf. F. contumace. Cf. {Contemn}.] 1. Stubborn perverseness; pertinacious resistance to authority. [1913 Webster] The bishop… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

contumacy — (n.) late 14c., from L. contumacia haughtiness, insolence, noun of quality from contumax (see CONTUMELY (Cf. contumely)) …   Etymology dictionary

contumacy — [kän′tyo͞o mə sē, kän′təmə sē] n. pl. contumacies [ME contumacie < L contumacia < contumax, haughty, stubborn < com , intens. + tumere, to swell up: see TUMOR] stubborn refusal to submit to authority, esp. that of a law court;… …   English World dictionary

contumacy — /kont(y)amasiy/ The refusal or intentional omission of a person who has been duly cited before a court to appear and defend the charge laid against him, or, if he is duly before the court, to obey some lawful order or direction made in the cause …   Black's law dictionary

contumacy — noun Etymology: Middle English contumacie, from Anglo French, from Latin contumacia, from contumac , contumax rebellious Date: 13th century stubborn resistance to authority; specifically willful contempt of court …   New Collegiate Dictionary

contumacy — /kon too meuh see, tyoo /, n., pl. contumacies. stubborn perverseness or rebelliousness; willful and obstinate resistance or disobedience to authority. [1150 1200; ME contumacie < L contumacia, equiv. to contumac , s. of contumax unyielding,… …   Universalium

contumacy — noun disobedience, resistance to authority …   Wiktionary

contumacy — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) n. rebelliousness, disobedience. II (Roget s Thesaurus II) noun The disposition boldly to defy or resist authority or an opposing force: contempt, defiance, despite, recalcitrance, recalcitrancy. See… …   English dictionary for students

contumacy — con·tu·ma·cy || kÉ’ntjÊŠmÉ™sɪ n. stubbornness, obstinacy; insubordination, disobedience …   English contemporary dictionary