Meanings
plural insistences
- countableuncountableThe state of being insistent.
He made gourd-rattles (known in ever so many parts of the world) in which he rattled dried seeds or small pebbles with a most beguiling and rain-like insistence[.]
1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., published 1921, page 721 more example
The extreme depth of these channels, and the insistence of the Board of Trade on a headway of 150 ft. for the unrestricted passage of large ships, necessitated a high bridge with two main spans, and a central pier on Inchgarvie.
1950 March, H. A. Vallance, “On Foot Across the Forth Bridge”, in Railway Magazine, page 147 - countableuncountablefencingThe forcing of an attack through the parry, using strength.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe state of demanding notice or attention
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Frenchinsister“to insist”
- Middle Englishinsistence
- Englishinsistence
From Middle English insistence, derived from Old French insister (“to insist”). Compare Middle French insistance. Morphologically insist + -ence.
More words from Middle English, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian настойчивост, изискване
- настойчивост (nastojčivost)state of being insistent
- изискване (iziskvane)urgent demand
Catalan insistència, insistència
- insistènciastate of being insistent
- insistènciaurgent demand
Czech neústupnost, neodbytnost
- neústupnoststate of being insistent
- neodbytnoststate of being insistent
- naléháníurgent demand
- vyžadováníurgent demand
- domáhání seurgent demand
Finnish hellittämättömyys, itsepintaisuus
- hellittämättömyysstate of being insistent
- itsepintaisuusstate of being insistent
- vaatimusurgent demand
French insistance
- insistancestate of being insistent
German Beharrlichkeit, Insistenz
- Beharrlichkeitstate of being insistent
- Insistenzstate of being insistent
- Eindringlichkeitstate of being insistent
- Dringlichkeiturgent demand
Greek επιμονή
- επιμονή (epimoní)state of being insistent
Italian insistenza
- insistenzastate of being insistent
Portuguese insistência
- insistênciastate of being insistent
Romanian insistență
- insistențăstate of being insistent
Russian насто́йчивость
- насто́йчивость (nastójčivostʹ)state of being insistent
Spanish insistencia, insistencia
- insistenciastate of being insistent
- insistenciaurgent demand
Ukrainian наполе́гливість, насті́йність
- наполе́гливість (napoléhlyvistʹ)state of being insistent
- насті́йність (nastíjnistʹ)state of being insistent
- насті́йливість (nastíjlyvistʹ)state of being insistent
- наполяга́ння (napoljahánnja)urgent demand
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with insistence
Cite this entry
insistence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insistence
“insistence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insistence. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “insistence,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insistence.
Source: insistence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.