insurgency
noun
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Insurgencies fall into the category of "irregular warfare", since an insurgency normally lacks the organization of a revolution, even though it has the same aims. Revolutions often begin within a country's armed forces, whereas insurgencies often arise in remote areas, where they gain strength slowly by winning the confidence of rural populations. An insurgency may be based on ethnic or religious identity, or its roots may be basically political or economic. Since insurgencies are rarely strong enough to face a national army head-on, insurgents (often called guerrillas) tend to use such tactics as bombing, kidnapping, hostage taking, and hijacking.
Examples of insurgency in a Sentence
Alexander Lowie, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025
Authorities had been looking into a month-long trip by the father and son to the Philippines, where there's been a decades-long Islamist insurgency in the south of the country.
—CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
The militias have waged an insurgency within an insurgency, targeting Hamas at a critical moment in the process of establishing governance in post-war Gaza.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
In response, the Clinton administration established Plan Colombia, a multifaceted assistance program to confront drug trafficking, defeat the insurgency, and restore the effectiveness of the government.
—Kevin Whitaker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insurgency
Cite this Entry
“Insurgency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insurgency. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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insurgency
noun
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