rebellion

noun

re·​bel·​lion ri-ˈbel-yən How to pronounce rebellion (audio)
1
: opposition to one in authority or dominance
2
a
: open, armed, and usually unsuccessful defiance of or resistance to an established government
b
: an instance of such defiance or resistance

Did you know?

Plenty of teenagers rebel against their parents in all kinds of ways. But a rebellion usually involves a group. Armed rebellions are usually put down by a country's armed forces, or at least kept from expanding beyond a small area. The American War of Independence was first viewed by the British as a minor rebellion that would soon run its course, but this particular rebellion led to a full-fledged revolution--that is, the overthrow of a government. Rebellion, armed or otherwise, has often alerted those in power that those they control are very unhappy.

Choose the Right Synonym for rebellion

rebellion, revolution, uprising, revolt, insurrection, mutiny mean an outbreak against authority.

rebellion implies an open formidable resistance that is often unsuccessful.

open rebellion against the officers

revolution applies to a successful rebellion resulting in a major change (as in government).

a political revolution that toppled the monarchy

uprising implies a brief, limited, and often immediately ineffective rebellion.

quickly put down the uprising

revolt and insurrection imply an armed uprising that quickly fails or succeeds.

a revolt by the Young Turks that surprised party leaders
an insurrection of oppressed laborers

mutiny applies to group insubordination or insurrection especially against naval authority.

a mutiny led by the ship's cook

Examples of rebellion in a Sentence

The king's army suppressed the rebellion. The unfair tax laws sparked a rebellion. The peasants rose in rebellion. She's the head of a rebellion against the leaders of the party. Recent election losses have led to open rebellion among some party members, who are calling for a complete change of leadership.
Recent Examples on the Web Some users staged a rebellion, shutting down parts of Reddit for days. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 15 Mar. 2024 Segregated and impoverished Black communities across the nation took part in dozens of rebellions, and tanks rolled through American streets. Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Courtesy of Momofuku Building a dynasty Mariscal first entered the restaurant industry as an act of rebellion. Jasmine Li, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 Within Arab circles, especially, the symbolism of a self-immolation is potent: a Tunisian fruit vendor who burned himself to death in 2011 set off pro-democracy rebellions that toppled dictators and upended the Middle East. Hannah Allam, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2024 The evolution comes as kind of a practical reaction to the realities of the rebellion. Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 Speaking out—and therefore, putting airplay on country radio at risk—is an act of rebellion. Lindy Segal, Glamour, 21 Feb. 2024 What led the girls to ISIS is presented as an extreme act of youthful rebellion. Matthew Jacobs, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024 This week, in the normally staid Belgian capital of Brussels, months of protests by farmers across the 27-nation European Union became something much closer to a farmers rebellion. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rebellion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rebellion was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near rebellion

Cite this Entry

“Rebellion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebellion. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rebellion

noun
re·​bel·​lion ri-ˈbel-yən How to pronounce rebellion (audio)
1
: open opposition to authority
2
: open fighting against authority (as one's government)

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