from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Insist \In*sist"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Insisted}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Insisting}.] [F. insister, L. insistere to set foot upon,
follow, persist; pref. in- in + sistere to stand, cause to
stand. See {Stand}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. To stand or rest; to find support; -- with in, on, or
upon. [R.] --Ray.
[1913 Webster]
2. To take a stand and refuse to give way; to hold to
something firmly or determinedly; to be persistent,
urgent, or pressing; to persist in demanding; -- followed
by on, upon, or that; as, he insisted on these conditions;
he insisted on going at once; he insists that he must have
money.
[1913 Webster]
Insisting on the old prerogative. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Without further insisting on the different tempers
of Juvenal and Horace. --Dryden.
Syn: {Insist}, {Persist}.
Usage: Insist implies some alleged right, as authority or
claim. Persist may be from obstinacy alone, and either
with or against rights. We insist as against others;
we persist in what exclusively relates to ourselves;
as, he persisted in that course; he insisted on his
friend's adopting it. --C. J. Smith.
[1913 Webster]