Renitencies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Unauthorized or resistant behaviors exhibited in an individual or group
2. A state of persistent defiance or opposition towards authority or expectations
3. Manifestations of stubbornness or refusal to conform to prescribed norms or regulations

Etymology: "Renitencies" is simply the plural of "renitency," so its story is the story of that noun. Renitency means stubborn resistance or refusal to comply, and the plural form is used when referring to several separate instances of such resistance. Because it is an inflected form, its history lies entirely in the base word, which traces back to the Latin "renitens," the present participle of "reniti," meaning "to resist" or "to push back against." Adding "-ency" to such stems is a common way English has turned Latin verbs into abstract nouns of state or quality.