insurrection

play

noun in·sur·rec·tion \ˌin(t)-sə-ˈrek-shən\

Definition of insurrection

: an act or instance of revolting against civil authority or an established government

insurrectional

play \ˌin(t)-sə-ˈrek-shnəl, -shə-n^əl\ adjective

insurrectionary

play \ˌin(t)-sə-ˈrek-shə-ˌner-ē\ adjective or noun

insurrectionist

play \ˌin(t)-sə-ˈrek-sh(ə-)nist\ noun

See insurrection defined for English-language learners

See insurrection defined for kids

Examples of insurrection in a Sentence

the famous insurrection of the slaves in ancient Rome under Spartacus

Recent Examples of insurrection from the Web

In 43 years of living, this guy led an insurrection in Ireland, spent years in a Tasmanian jail, escaped to the US, was a Union general in the Civil War and afterward, the governor (of sorts) of the Montana territory.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Doc: Replay should never get it wrong", 6 July 2017
The officials reported that the colonists had started an insurrection: The king’s property was being vandalized and his officers harassed.

— matthew c. simpson, New Republic, "Benjamin Franklin and His Son, Divided by Independence", 3 July 2017
Venezuela, for the record, is currently suffering chronic shortages of everything from food to toilet paper, a mass civil insurrection and murderous police brutality.

— michael j. totten, The Atlantic, "Why the Rise of Corbyn's Labour Party Should Worry the West", 13 June 2017
But Shakespeare's play is no celebration of violent insurrection.

— chris moody, CNN, "'Trump-like' 'Julius Caesar' stirs debate", 10 June 2017
Whether the Kansas insurrection has any impact on Louisiana's current negotiations remains to be seen.

— tim morris, NOLA.com, "Kansas Republicans revolt against GOP governor, raise taxes: Opinion", 8 June 2017
The government was sending a forceful message about its unwillingness to tolerate insurrection.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Two Centuries Ago, These Ill-Fated Laborers Attempted to Overthrow the British Government", 8 June 2017
Sign Up Mr. Duterte declared martial law in the Mindanao region, the southern third of the Philippines, to crush the insurrection, and poured in troops backed by airstrikes, artillery fire and armored vehicles.

— jim gomez, The Christian Science Monitor, "ISIS attack on mall in Manila raises concerns militant siege may be spreading", 1 June 2017
Duterte declared martial law in the Mindanao region, the southern third of the Philippines, to crush the insurrection, and poured in troops backed by airstrikes, artillery fire and armored vehicles.

— Bloomberg.com, "Philippine Airstrike Kills 11 Soldiers in 'Friendly Fire'", 1 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'insurrection'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of insurrection

Middle English insureccion, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin insurrection-, insurrectio, from insurgere

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First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of insurrection

rebellion, revolution, uprising, revolt, insurrection, mutiny mean an outbreak against authority. rebellion implies an open formidable resistance that is often unsuccessful. open rebellion against the officers revolution applies to a successful rebellion resulting in a major change (as in government). a political revolution that toppled the monarchy uprising implies a brief, limited, and often immediately ineffective rebellion. quickly put down the uprising revolt and insurrection imply an armed uprising that quickly fails or succeeds. a revolt by the Young Turks that surprised party leaders an insurrection of oppressed laborers mutiny applies to group insubordination or insurrection especially against naval authority. a mutiny led by the ship's cook

INSURRECTION Defined for English Language Learners

insurrection

play

noun

Definition of insurrection for English Language Learners

: a usually violent attempt to take control of a government

INSURRECTION Defined for Kids

insurrection

play

noun in·sur·rec·tion \ˌin-sə-ˈrek-shən\

Definition of insurrection for Students

: an act or instance of rebelling against a government

Law Dictionary

insurrection

play

noun in·sur·rec·tion \ˌin-sə-ˈrek-shən\

Legal Definition of insurrection

: the act or an instance of revolting especially violently against civil or political authority or against an established government; also : the crime of inciting or engaging in such revolt whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States…shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years — U.S. Code