ENGLISH
REFERENCE

insistence

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˌɪnˈsɪstəns// UK //ɪnsˈɪstəns// in·sis·tence

n. the act of demanding something firmly and refusing to change your mind. You use it when someone says something must happen or be true.

n. the act or fact of demanding something firmly or maintaining a position despite opposition. Often followed by a clause or a prepositional phrase.


SIMPLE

She succeeded because of her insistence on high standards.

CONTEXTUAL

Despite the doctor's insistence that he rest, the athlete returned to training only two days after the injury.

COMPLEX

The project's failure was attributed to the director's stubborn insistence on using outdated software, despite repeated warnings from the technical team regarding its security vulnerabilities.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English insistence, derived from Old French insister (“to insist”). Compare Middle French insistance. Morphologically insist + -ence.

Usage

Often takes the preposition 'on' or 'upon' followed by a noun phrase, or a 'that' clause.

Pitfall

his insistence for a refundhis insistence on a refundThe noun insistence typically collocates with 'on' rather than 'for'.

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