insistence

noun

in·​sis·​tence in-ˈsi-stən(t)s How to pronounce insistence (audio)
1
: the act or an instance of insisting
2
: the quality or state of being insistent : urgency

Examples of insistence in a Sentence

He spoke with great insistence of the need for reform. the insistence of the crashing waves
Recent Examples on the Web Netanyahu repeated his insistence Sunday that a military operation in Rafah is needed to eliminate Hamas. Rachel pannett, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024 But given his insistence that there’s no way election officials could feasibly count 123,000 petitions in a 10-day timeline, voters should fasten their seatbelts — a month of waiting likely lies ahead. Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024 The couple's previous donations, as well as their insistence on charity, have been highly scrutinized. Glamour, 15 Mar. 2024 In seeking the delay, the defense also repeated its insistence that the indictment must be dismissed. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2024 The Kronos’ knack for tempering musical extremity with a gentle insistence on open-minded inquiry remains unchanged, and has been a central part of their appeal. Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 Still, with Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery unsigned, Zaidi is holding strong in his insistence to rely on the Giants’ crop of young arms to fill their rotation behind Logan Webb and Jordan Hicks, a converted reliever who has made only eight major-league starts himself. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 My dad, a health nut, used this mantra to justify his insistence that our family eat rice-heavy meals, at the exact same time every day, to promote regularity and thus overall health. Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2024 Throughout, Klinenberg’s mixture of closeup witness and broad-view sociology is engrossing, and reminds this reader of the late Howard S. Becker’s insistence that the best sociology is always, in the first instance, wide-angle reporting. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'insistence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of insistence was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near insistence

Cite this Entry

“Insistence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insistence. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

insistence

noun
in·​sis·​tence in-ˈsis-tən(t)s How to pronounce insistence (audio)
1
: the act or an instance of insisting
2
: the quality or state of being insistent

More from Merriam-Webster on insistence

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