November 23, 2014 Word of the Day ... recusant ... \REK-yuh-zunt\ DEFINITION adjective : refusing to submit to authority EXAMPLES Elizabeths recusant streak was apparent even in elementary school, where she would frequently challenge the rules put forth by her teachers. The third volume, covering the English Civil War and its aftermath, offers more of the same smoothly readable analysis.… Oliver Cromwell, with his Puritan grit and fear of recusant Catholicism, inevitably takes up much of the action. — Ian Thomson, The Independent (UK), October 22, 2014 DID YOU KNOW? In 1534, Henry VIII of England declared himself the head of the Church of England, separating it from the Roman Catholic Church, and the resultant furor led to increased attention on peoples religious observances. A recusant was someone who (from about 1570-1791) refused to attend services of the Church of England, and therefore violated the laws of mandatory church attendance. The name derives from the Latin verb recusare, meaning reject or oppose. The adjective recusant has been in use since the late 16th century. Originally, it meant refusing to attend the services of the Church of England, but by the centurys end, both the adjective and the noun were also being used generally to suggest resistance to authority of any form. Merriam-Webster Online
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 09:37:55 +0000
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