captiousnessn.
/ˈkapʃəsnɪs/ Captious quality or disposition.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disapproval > criticism > [noun] > captious > quality or disposition
captiousness1545
fastidiousness1661
exceptiousnessa1677
the mind > mental capacity > understanding > reason, faculty of reasoning > misleading argument, sophistry > excessive subtlety, hair-splitting > frivolous, captious objection > [noun] > quality
captiousness1545
1545 N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus Luke in Paraphr. New Test. (1548) f. 71 The malicious capciousnesse of the Pharisees and of the Scribes.
1664 H. More Modest Enq. Myst. Iniquity 101 Who put questions..for captiousness, contention and a conceited hope of puzzling him.
1750 S. Johnson Rambler No. 74. ⁋5 The captiousness of old age.
1861 Sat. Rev. 30 Nov. 562 [He] sometimes pushes his criticism to the length of captiousness.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1888; most recently modified version published online December 2018).
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n.1545