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 bloc also called on the Houthis to cease all military actions, attacks against civilian shipping and for Iran to end its support for the rebel group. — Sam Meredith,lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026

Big Psi for rebel exoplanet Planets form from disks of gas and dust that surround infant stars. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Noun

In that same scene, Adam also jokingly calls Olive a rebel, which could be a nod to Rey’s allegiance to the Resistance. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026

Today, the challenges facing the continent include a humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, a spate of kidnappings and killings in Nigeria, and conflict between rebels and government forces in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. — Goodluck Ajeh, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2026

Verb

The data demonstrates that anxious workforces tend to overcompensate with high performance before quitting, rebelling or failing. — Stacey Zolt Hara, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026

Starring Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, the movie portrays three working women who rebel against their sexist boss. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 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