Definition of civil disobedience
: refusal to obey governmental demands or commands especially as a nonviolent and usually collective means of forcing concessions from the government
- Trending Now: More Trending:
- insubordinate promulgate epochal clemency suborn
- ALL
What's Trending Now
More Trending Words
Examples of civil disobedience in a Sentence
In an act of civil disobedience, the family sent its tax money to an antiwar organization.
A student organization is encouraging civil disobedience as a way to get the university to change its policies.
Recent Examples of civil disobedience from the Web
-
When the first demonstrators arrived at the U.S. Capitol building, on April 29, Tillmon and 32 other NWRO officials were arrested for civil disobedience.
-
Yet in 1985, the river was reintroduced into the city’s consciousness by three distinct events: the publication of a series of articles in the Los Angeles Times, the performance of an act of civil disobedience, and the opening of a new sewage plant.
-
The civil disobedience is just one part of the plan.
-
That's part of the reason why activists with the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival are kicking off a 40-day operation of civil disobedience to refocus the nation's moral agenda.
-
Starting on Monday, thousands of Americans will begin a 40-day campaign of protest and civil disobedience.
-
Many told the media they were inspired by the events in Armenia, where a nationwide campaign of civil disobedience caused the long-time leader of the small Eastern European state to step down.
-
Acts of civil disobedience took place elsewhere in the small former Soviet republic.
-
More from the Saturday Essay Massive civil disobedience and violent protests would become the new normal.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'civil disobedience.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of civil disobedience
1866
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE Defined for English Language Learners
civil disobedience
Definition of civil disobedience for English Language Learners
-
: refusal to obey laws as a way of forcing the government to do or change something
Law Dictionary
civil disobedience
noun
civil dis·obe·di·ence
legal Definition of civil disobedience
: refusal to obey governmental demands or commands especially as a nonviolent and usually collective means of forcing concessions from the government
Learn More about civil disobedience
-
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about civil disobedience
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up civil disobedience? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
