insurgency

noun

in·​sur·​gen·​cy in-ˈsər-jən(t)-sē 

plural insurgencies

1

: insurgence

2

: the quality or state of being insurgent

specifically : a condition of revolt against a government that is less than an organized revolution and that is not recognized as belligerency

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms of insurgency

• insurrection
• revolt
• uprising
• rebellion
• mutiny

Examples of insurgency in a Sentence

there always seems to be insurgency of some type in that troubled country

Recent Examples on the Web

The Nigerian government has denied that the country allows religious persecution, and analysts say large numbers of Muslims and Christians have been harmed by insurgency in northern Nigeria. —Joe Walsh, CBS News, 16 May 2026

Al-Mainuki was born in 1982 in Mainok, or Mainuki, a village in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno, the heart of an insurgency crisis following the formation of the Boko Haram militant group around 2009. —ABC News, 16 May 2026

The story set in the Ukrainian town of Mariinka in the Donetsk region, examines a place defined by more than 10 years of war, stretching back to Russia’s insurgency campaign that preceded the full-scale invasion in 2022. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 May 2026

The current insurgency directly contests Pakistan’s capacity to deliver security in Balochistan. —Amira Jadoon, The Conversation, 13 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for insurgency

• emergency
• counterinsurgency
• nonemergency
• urgency

Kids Definition

insurgency

noun

in·​sur·​gen·​cy in-ˈsər-jən-sē 

plural insurgencies

: rebellion sense 2

Legal Definition

insurgency

noun

in·​sur·​gen·​cy in-ˈsər-jən-sē 

plural insurgencies

: the quality or state of being insurgent

specifically : a condition of revolt against a recognized government that does not reach the proportions of an organized revolutionary government and is not recognized as belligerency