Intransigences

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Stubborn refusal to compromise or change one's position on an issue
2. An unyielding stance that disregards negotiation or agreement, often leading to conflict
3. A rigid adherence to principles that prevents resolution or cooperation in discussions

Etymology: Intransigence comes from the Latin "intransigens," built from "in-" (not) and "transigere," meaning "to come to terms" or "to transact," which itself combines "trans-" (through, across) and "agere" (to drive or do). The sense is literally "not coming to an agreement," a settled refusal to meet halfway. The word arrived in French in the 19th century, and English borrowed it in the same period, first in political contexts, where it described hardline positions in parliamentary and diplomatic disputes. The plural "intransigences" is simply the noun in its countable form, used when speaking of several separate refusals or several instances of inflexibility, such as a series of stubborn stances taken by different parties during a negotiation.

Synonyms: obstinacy, stubbornness, unyieldingness, rigidity, adamance

Antonyms: flexibility, compliance, adaptability, conformity, yielding