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Added 9 October 2026

insist

/ɪnˈsɪst/ verb

In Latin: efflāgitō, teneō Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about insist at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge.
I must insist!
Beg persistently and urgently.
I importune you to help them
Postulate positively and assertively.
The letter asserts a free society

Origin

Partly from Middle French insister, from Latin īnsistere; and partly from a back-formation from insistence. Compare typologically from the same PIE root Bulgarian настоявам (nastojavam), Russian наста́ивать (nastáivatʹ).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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