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

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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.

Synonyms

• 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 extremist Sunni Muslim group has its origins in Al-Qaeda in Iraq, which launched a violent insurgency against both U.S. troops and rival Shiite Muslim militias following the U.S.-led invasion of the country that toppled President Saddam Hussein in 2003. —Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025

Balochistan has been rocked for years by a separatist insurgency that seeks greater political autonomy and economic development in the strategically important and mineral-rich mountainous region. —Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 21 May 2025

Tumult and violence plagued Peru at the time, spurred by the brutal Shining Path insurgency and the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. —Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025

Pakistan backed an insurgency there, leading to the first war with India. —Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 7 May 2025

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