insubordinate
adjective
in·sub·or·di·nate
ˌin(t)-sə-ˈbȯr-də-nət 
-ˈbȯrd-nət
: disobedient to authority
Examples of insubordinate in a Sentence
His behavior was unprofessional and insubordinate.
the junior officer was court-martialed for being insubordinate
Recent Examples on the Web
Respondents said those issues include violent, destructive or insubordinate behavior by the students.
—
Rachel Wegner, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
In the past, there have been insubordinate military commanders, notably Army Generals George McClellan and Douglas MacArthur, who respectively challenged the authority of Presidents Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and Harry Truman during the Korean War.
—Arthur Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
Instead, over-centralization has produced the opposite effect, fragmenting the bureaucracy, encouraging bureaucrats to pursue their own interests, and enabling regional elites to become increasingly insubordinate—with Ramzan Kadyrov, Putin’s strongman in Chechnya, being the prime example.
—Alexander J. Motyl, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2016
The slogan put the audience in the shoes of a casually bigoted, insubordinate alcoholic who bends the NYPD’s rules in pursuit of drug runners.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insubordinate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rachel Wegner, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
In the past, there have been insubordinate military commanders, notably Army Generals George McClellan and Douglas MacArthur, who respectively challenged the authority of Presidents Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and Harry Truman during the Korean War.
—Arthur Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
Instead, over-centralization has produced the opposite effect, fragmenting the bureaucracy, encouraging bureaucrats to pursue their own interests, and enabling regional elites to become increasingly insubordinate—with Ramzan Kadyrov, Putin’s strongman in Chechnya, being the prime example.
—Alexander J. Motyl, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2016
The slogan put the audience in the shoes of a casually bigoted, insubordinate alcoholic who bends the NYPD’s rules in pursuit of drug runners.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insubordinate
Cite this Entry
“Insubordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insubordinate. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
insubordinate
adjective
in·sub·or·di·nate
ˌin(t)-sə-ˈbȯrd-ᵊn-ət
-ˈbȯrd-nət
: not obeying authority : disobedient
insubordinately
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share