rebel

1 of 3

adjective

reb·​el ˈre-bəl How to pronounce rebel (audio)
1
a
: opposing or taking arms against a government or ruler
b
: of or relating to rebels
the rebel camp
2

rebel

2 of 3

noun

: one who rebels or participates in a rebellion

rebel

3 of 3

verb

re·​bel ri-ˈbel How to pronounce rebel (audio)
rebelled; rebelling

intransitive verb

1
a
: to oppose or disobey one in authority or control
b
: to renounce and resist by force the authority of one's government
2
a
: to act in or show opposition or disobedience
rebelled against the conventions of polite society
b
: to feel or exhibit anger or revulsion
rebelled at the injustice of life

Examples of rebel in a Sentence

Adjective today's rebel chefs feel free to ignore the dictates of classic French cuisine Noun The government captured six armed rebels. He was a rebel against the school administration. He is a typical teenage rebel. Verb When the government imposed more taxes, the people rebelled. The protesters are rebelling against the new tax law. Children often rebel against their parents.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
Offering a complete range of tailored clothing, leather jackets, footwear, and accessories, JV denotes the taste of high fashion with a rebel aesthetic. Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 The rebel run is the biggest of them all. George Caulkin, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
By the finale, the galactic chessboard is crowded with players—emperors, rebels, prophets, impostors—but as Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) warned in the very first episode, the center cannot hold. Jp Mangalindan, Time, 12 Sep. 2025 North was convicted in 1989 on three felony charges for helping to arrange the illicit sale of weapons to Iran and divert the proceeds to fund a secret war against anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua. Josh Meyer, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
Qi is more interested in how Chuan’s motherhood is affected — and what happens when Hsiao-Lee is confident enough to rebel against her mom. Adam Solomons, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025 An essay in The Dartmouth Review argues that the toga parties (based very much on truth) represented students from Miller's generation rebelling against conformity. Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rebel

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin rebellis, from re- + bellum war, from Old Latin duellum

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of rebel was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rebel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebel. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

rebel

1 of 3 adjective
reb·​el ˈreb-əl How to pronounce rebel (audio)
1
: being or fighting against one's government or ruler
2
: not obeying

rebel

2 of 3 noun
: a person who refuses to give in to authority

rebel

3 of 3 verb
re·​bel ri-ˈbel How to pronounce rebel (audio)
rebelled; rebelling
1
: to be against or fight against authority and especially the authority of one's government
2
: to feel or show anger or strong dislike

More from Merriam-Webster on rebel

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