recusant

/rəˈkjuznt/

Other forms: recusants

Someone who refuses to participate in a socially expected activity (especially when they decline to go to church) is a recusant.

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, anyone who broke church rules by refusing to attend services would be labeled a recusant by the Church of England. Today, a recusant might defy authority in other ways: "Once again, the recusants ignored my instructions to get in line after recess." Or use the word as an adjective, like when your recusant brother refuses to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. The Latin root is recusare, "decline, refuse, or reject."

Definitions of recusant

1. noun

   someone who refuses to conform to established standards of conduct
   synonyms: nonconformist

   types:

   beat, beatnik

   a member of the beat generation; a nonconformist in dress and behavior

   bohemian

   a nonconformist writer or artist who lives an unconventional life

   enfant terrible

   a person whose unconventional behavior embarrasses others

   heretic

   a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field (not merely religion)

   maverick, rebel

   someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action

   type of:

   contestant, dissenter, dissentient, dissident, objector, protester

   a person who dissents from some established policy
2. adjective

   (of Catholics) refusing to attend services of the Church of England
   synonyms: dissentient

   unorthodox

   breaking with convention or tradition
3. adjective

   refusing to submit to authority
   “"the recusant electors...cooperated in electing a new Senate"- Mary W.Williams”

   synonyms:

   disobedient

   not obeying or complying with commands of those in authority