Obstinately

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈɑbstɪnətli/

Definitions

1. In a manner that shows stubborn refusal to change one's opinion, course of action, or belief despite pressure or evidence to the contrary
2. In a way that demonstrates a persistent unwillingness to alter one's thoughts or actions, even when faced with contrary arguments or evidence
3. Through a stubborn approach that resists changing decisions or beliefs despite valid reasons to consider alternatives

Etymology: Obstinately is a plain formation: the adjective "obstinate" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" attached. The adjective comes from Latin "obstinatus," the past participle of "obstinare," meaning "to persist, to set oneself firmly," built from "ob-" ("against") and "stinare," a verb of uncertain origin that meant something like "to take a stand." So the core idea is planting yourself in the way of something. The suffix has a longer ancestry than the Latin part. "-ly" descends from Old English "-līċe," itself rooted in the Proto-Germanic "*-līkaz," meaning "body" or "form," with the sense of "having the form of." Attaching it to an adjective turned a quality into a manner: "obstinate" describes a person, and "obstinately" describes how that person acts. Middle English kept the form as "-ly," which is why the suffix now appears on so many adjectives in modern English.

Synonyms: stubbornly, persistently, adamantly

Antonyms: easily, flexibly, yieldingly