rebellion

noun

re·​bel·​lion ri-ˈbel-yən 

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.

Synonyms

• insurgence
• insurgency
• insurrection
• mutiny
• outbreak
• revolt
• revolution
• rising
• uprising

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

The rebellion puts Johnson's job at risk if Democrats don't step in to save him if the group of hardliners forces a vote. —Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2024

Will the military continue trying to quash the rebellion and bring out the big guns, like tactical nukes? —Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 13 Apr. 2024

With so many voices silenced, might buying a ticket be a quiet act of rebellion? —Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024

The 11-member panel was tasked by LBJ with the mission of getting to the root causes of the rebellions that roiled the nation and finding what could be done to stop them from happening again. —Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 9 Apr. 2024

Abiy’s response to the Amhara rebellion has been self-defeating. —Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024

Whether the action was taken intentionally to quell the rebellion that Peltz was leading, or whether Iger would have made the moves irrespective of the proxy battle, remains a secret tucked deep within the Magic Kingdom. —Oliver Darcy, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024

Dressing more casually may also be part of a quiet rebellion against the workplace, as China’s younger workers struggle with a high unemployment rate and cost of living. —Kristen Parisi, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2024

But the angry calls for a remote-work rebellion are showing signs of quieting, a Morning Consult report from this month found. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

rebellion

noun

re·​bel·​lion ri-ˈbel-yən 

1

: open opposition to authority

2

: open fighting against authority (as one's government)