CONTUMACY, noun [Latin] 1. Stubbornness; unyielding obstinacy; inflexibility. 2. In law, a wilful contempt and disobedience to any lawful summons or order of court; a refusal to appear in court when legally summoned, or disobedience to its rules and orders.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI