rebel

1 of 3

adjective

reb·​el ˈre-bəl 

1

a

: opposing or taking arms against a government or ruler

b

: of or relating to rebels

the rebel camp

2

: disobedient, rebellious

rebel

2 of 3

noun

: one who rebels or participates in a rebellion

rebel

3 of 3

verb

re·​bel ri-ˈbel 

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

Synonyms of rebel

Adjective

• rebellious
• defiant

Noun

• insurgent
• revolutionary

Verb

• revolt
• mutiny

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

Adjective

The Ethiopian military has accused Sudan, Egypt and Eritrea of backing Tigrayan militants, who have aligned themselves with seven rebel groups in Ethiopia with the goal of ousting Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. — Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 10 Nov. 2026

Aside from a couple of stick-ups and some seducing and scheming, the rebel storyline fizzles before it even really gets started. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 Nov. 2026

Noun

The rebels made a lightning advance capturing much of Yemen's Red Sea coast and strategic islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. — Ahmed Hatem, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026

Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry rejected similar Sudanese accusations in a May 5 statement, calling them baseless, and accused Sudan of supporting rebels in its northern Tigray region. — ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026

Verb

Collin, 22 While the show was filming, Collin often rebelled against the production by acting detached rather than performing for the cameras. — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026

While some prisoners tolerated the guards’ abuses, others rebelled, including Clay Ramsay, who Newsweek reports went on a hunger strike. — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2026

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

Phrases Containing rebel

• rebel yell

Rhymes for rebel

• jebel
• ndebele
• nebel
• pebble
• treble
• jezebel

Kids Definition

rebel

1 of 3 adjective

reb·​el ˈreb-əl 

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 

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