anti-government

adjective

an·​ti-gov·​ern·​ment

ˌan-tē-ˈgə-vər(n)-mənt, 

-və-mənt;

-ˈgə-bᵊm-ənt, 

-vᵊm-;

ˌan-tī- 

variants or antigovernment

: opposed to or hostile toward governments or a particular government : opposing or resisting governmental policies and power

anti-government attitudes

an antigovernment demonstration

Examples of anti-government in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Iran was jolted by resurgent anti-government protests over the weekend, as Washington sought to build pressure on Tehran to accede to its demands ahead of new nuclear talks amid a massive American military buildup. —Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 23 Feb. 2026

Students gathered in Tehran and the northeastern city of Mashhad to mark 40-day memorials for those killed during January’s nationwide anti-government demonstrations before violence broke out. —Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 23 Feb. 2026

In 2011, mass anti-government protests were met by a brutal crackdown and spiraled into civil war. —ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026

The protests coincided with ceremonies traditionally held after 40 days to mourn those killed by security forces during last month’s anti-government demonstrations. —Tim Lister, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for anti-government

• misgovernment
• nongovernment