noun, na-adjective
stubbornly independent; sticking to one's convictions
A rare, literary yojijukugo describing a person who is obstinately self-reliant and refuses to compromise their principles. Often carries a nuance of aloofness or unyielding integrity.
彼は狷介不羈な性格で、誰の助言も聞こうとしなかった。
He was stubbornly independent and refused to listen to anyone's advice.
狷介不羈の士として、彼は生涯自分の信念を曲げなかった。
As a man of unyielding integrity, he never compromised his convictions throughout his life.
A yojijukugo composed of 狷介 (stubborn, narrow-minded) and 不羈 (unrestrained, independent). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is a literary compound used to describe an unyielding, self-determined character.