repugnant, a. and n.
(rɪˈpʌgnənt)
[a. F. répugnant (1372) or ad. L. repugnant-em, pres. pple. of repugnāre to repugn.]
A. adj.
1. Contrary or contradictory to, inconsistent or incompatible with, † divergent from, † standing against, something else.
| 1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love iii. i. (Skeat) l. 128 All lawes, or custome,..that contrarien law of kinde, vtterly ben repugnaunt and aduersary to our godds wil of heuen. 1461 Rolls of Parlt. V. 467/1 Repugnaunt or contrarie to the seid right. 1477 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 307 All thinges not repugnant to the premisses. 1534 Whitinton Tullyes Offices i. (1540) 5 Whan that thynge semeth to be repugnaunt with honestye, that semeth profytable. 1551 T. Wilson Logike 17 b, Obey the higher power in all things that are not directly repugnant from the will of God. 1590 C. S. Right Relig. 24 Repugnant plainely against the law of Moses. 1660 R. Coke Power & Subj. 140 If the Laws..do command things repugnant to Gods word. 1685 H. More Paralip. Prophet. xlix. 459 Not at all repugnant with our Hypothesis. 1748 Anson's Voy. ii. iv. 165 The coming in sight of that Island was directly repugnant to the Merchant's instructions. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) V. 28 The clause was void, because it was repugnant to the body of the act. 1864 Bowen Logic iv. 91 The number of attributes in the universe not logically repugnant to each other is infinite. |
b. Without const., esp. of two or more things in relation to each other.
| 1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love iii. iii. (Skeat) l. 32 To euery wiȝt..is seen these thinges to be repugnaunt. c 1449 Pecock Repr. iii. xix. 408 Therfore tho chapitres ben not bitwixe hem silf repugnant. 1528 Gardiner in Pocock Rec. Ref. I. 118 In hurts done and taken on either party there is many times tidings repugnant. 1590 Swinburne Testaments 122 Those conditions which by reason of contraritie or repugnant perplexitie be impossible, or incompatible. 1614 Raleigh Hist. World ii. (1634) 372 There being found three places of Scripture touching this point, seeming repugnant or disagreeing. 1660 Barrow Euclid i. xxvii, The outward angle AEF will be greater than the inward angle DFE, to which it was equal by Hypothesis, which is repugnant. 1766 Blackstone Comm. II. 157 A condition either impossible, illegal, or repugnant. 1800 Med. Jrnl. IV. 213 When these are..variously combined with no properties chemically repugnant. 1864 Bowen Logic iv. 65 Considered in relation to each other Marks are either Congruent or Repugnant. |
† c. Diverse, different. Obs. rare—1.
| 1544 tr. Littleton's Tenures (1574) 99 Y⊇ cause of the diversity betwene these two cases is repugnant ynough. |
2. Making or offering resistance (to a person or thing); opposing, resisting, hostile, antagonistic, refractory.
| c 1460 G. Ashby Dicta Philos. 1029 Suche folk as be conversant With goode men and wise, to Il repugnant. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. 436 But to all this was the towne of Gaunt repugnaunt, in so moche y{supt} mortall warre beganne. 1533 Bellenden Livy iii. xvi. (S.T.S.) II. 11 Sum tyme (becaus he was repugnant) he bad tak him perforce. 1581 G. Pettie tr. Guazzo's Civ. Conv. ii. (1586) 102 b, He ought to be called ignorant, whose minde is repugnant to knowledge. c 1595 Capt. Wyatt R. Dudley's Voy. W. Ind. (Hakl. Soc.) 35 To which proceedings above all others Captain Jobson..was much contradictorie and repugnante. 1627 May Lucan iii. (1631) 592 As when strong windes with tydes repugnant meet, One way the Sea, the waues another go. 1818 Byron Ch. Har. iv. lxxv, I abhorr'd..The drill'd dull lesson, forced down word by word In my repugnant youth. 1875 Browning Aristoph. Apol. 5 Never again may these repugnant orbs Ache themselves blind. |
† b. Of medicines: Operative against, counteractive to, something. Obs. rare.
| 1559 Morwyng Evonym. 148 It is repugnant against all kinds of worms within the body. 1568 G. Skeyne The Pest (1860) 23 Quhilk is repugnant to all vther kynd of poysone. |
3. Distasteful or objectionable to one.
| 1777 Watson Philip II, xiv. (1793) II. 210 The limitations..imposed upon the sovereign's authority were utterly repugnant to Philip's temper. 1825 Lamb Elia Ser. ii. Stage Illusion, Characters in comedy..which involve some notion repugnant to the moral sense. 1869 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1875) III. xi. 57 A step likely to be in many ways repugnant to Northumbrian feeling. |
b. Exciting distaste or aversion; offensive, loathsome, repulsive.
| 1879 tr. De Quatrefages' Hum. Spec. 49 The flesh also assumes a repugnant appearance. |
† B. n.
1. A recusant or resister. Obs. rare—1.
| 1625 Bp. R. Montagu App. Cæsar 143 What..Edict did ever command it to be professed, or..imposed penaltie upon repugnants, or non-consentients unto it? |
† 2. Logic. A term or proposition forming the contrary or contradictory of another. Obs.
| 1654 Z. Coke Logick 169 One of the contradicents and repugnants being put, the other is removed. 1697 tr. Burgersdicius his Logic ii. x. 44 Seek first the Consequences of the Predicate,..then the Repugnants. |