captiousness

English

Etymology

From captious +‎ -ness.

Noun

captiousness (usually uncountable, plural captiousnesses)

  1. The state of being captious.
    • 1867, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, chapter V, in The Gambler, translated by C. J. Hogarth‎[1]:
      "Yes— and I suppose you want to know why," she replied with dry captiousness.
  2. Captious behaviour.

Quotations

  • 1819, Timothy Dwight, Theology: Explained and Defended in a Series of Sermons:
    In this manner, they degrade religion into a spirit of captiousness.
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