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:

     "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.