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 At a time of growing youth rebellion, of goths and grunge music, these witches wore their defiance on their bodies, an unapologetic revolt against societal norms. Ivana Rihter, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2024 Under the Same Stars spans three periods of time — 1940s Germany, 1980s West Germany, and 2020 New York City — to track a historical mystery that examines truth, rebellion, reconciliation, and sacrifice. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 Oct. 2024 What if instead he had been gifted the gladiator school once owned by Batiatus in return for aiding the Romans in killing Spartacus and putting an end to the slave rebellion? Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2024 With each wave of propaganda, the Kremlin’s ability to maintain public support for mobilization became less effective. Or take the startling rebellion by Prigozhin in June 2023. Peter Pomerantsev, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rebellion 

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 31 Oct. 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)

More from Merriam-Webster on rebellion

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