contumacy

  • 1Contumacy — 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

  • 2contumacy — 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

  • 3Contumacy — 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

  • 4contumacy — (n.) late 14c., from L. contumacia haughtiness, insolence, noun of quality from contumax (see CONTUMELY (Cf. contumely)) …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 5contumacy — [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

  • 6contumacy — /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

  • 7contumacy — /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

  • 8Contumacy (in Canon Law) — • Contumacy, or contempt of court, is an obstinate disobedience of the lawful orders of a court Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Contumacy (in Canon Law)     Contumacy (in …

    Catholic encyclopedia

  • 9contumacy — 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

  • 10contumacy — /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,&#8230; …

    Universalium