insistence
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the act of demanding that something must happen or be done.
the act of demanding something firmly and refusing to accept a refusal or alternative.
Simple“At her insistence, we all wore formal clothes to the dinner party.”
In context“The project was eventually cancelled at the insistence of the board, who remained unconvinced by the projected revenue figures.”
UsageOften used in the phrase 'at someone's insistence'.
PitfallShe did it on his insistence. She did it at his insistence.Use the preposition 'at' when saying someone did something because another person demanded it.
SynonymsAntonymsacquiescenceindifference - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
saying something very strongly and repeatedly, especially when others do not believe you.
the persistent assertion of a fact or opinion, often in the face of doubt or opposition.
Simple“Despite his insistence that he was innocent, nobody believed his story.”
In context“The scientist's insistence that the data had been tampered with sparked a major investigation into the laboratory's practices.”
UsageCommonly followed by a 'that' clause.
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
in the sport of fencing, using strength to push an attack through a block.
the act of forcing an attack through a parry by using physical strength.
Simple“The fencer scored a point through pure insistence, pushing past his opponent's blade.”
In context“The coach noted that while his insistence was effective against less experienced opponents, it left him vulnerable to a quick counter-attack.”
UsageSpecific to the terminology of competitive fencing.
“Despite the insistence from both governments that the plan will benefit both Venezuelans and Americans, it is not without pitfalls and clear unanswered questions.”
“Instead, this was only done at the insistence of her defence team long after she had been charged with six counts of terrorism.”
From Middle English insistence, derived from Old French insister (“to insist”). Compare Middle French insistance. Morphologically insist + -ence.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.