noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American:/ˈɑbstɪnəsi/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈɒbstɪnəsi/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AA1 B S T AH0 N AH0 S IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The state, or an act, of stubbornness or doggedness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
He finished only through a mixture of determined obstinacy and ingenuity.
1877, Leo Tolstoy (author), David Magarshack (translator), Anna Karenina, part 6, ch 12, His hand closed, he drew back, and his face assumed a still more stubborn expression. "For you it's a matter of obstinacy," she said, looking intently at him and suddenly finding the right word for the expression of his face which exasperated her so much.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A group of bison; the collective noun for bison.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: collective, countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
resolute adherence to your own ideas or desires
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
