Definition of recreant

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rec·re·ant    (rkr-nt) KEY 

ADJECTIVE:

1. Unfaithful or disloyal to a belief, duty, or cause.
2. Craven or cowardly.

NOUN:

1. A faithless or disloyal person.
2. A coward.

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ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English recreaunt, defeated, from Old French recreant, present participle of recroire, to yield in a trial by combat, surrender allegiance, from Medieval Latin recrdere, to yield, pledge : Latin re-, re- + Latin crdere, to believe; see kerd- in Indo-European roots

OTHER FORMS:
recre·ance or recre·an·cy(Noun), recre·ant·ly(Adverb)