rebel

adjective

Save Word

reb·el | \ ˈre-bəl

Definition of rebel

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : opposing or taking arms against a government or ruler

b : of or relating to rebels the rebel camp

2 : disobedient, rebellious

rebel

noun

Definition of rebel (Entry 2 of 3)

: one who rebels or participates in a rebellion

rebel

verb

re·bel | \ ri-ˈbel

rebelled; rebelling

Definition of rebel (Entry 3 of 3)

intransitive verb

1a : to oppose or disobey one in authority or control

b : to renounce and resist by force the authority of one's government

2a : 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 & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about rebel

Keep scrolling for more

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 Though most protesters have marched peacefully over the past week, Colombian authorities say looters and members of drug gangs and urban units of rebel groups have infiltrated the demonstrations. — Juan Forero, WSJ, "Colombia Protests Turn Deadly Amid Covid-19 Hardships," 5 May 2021 Belgian investigators, at the request of Rwanda, have previously questioned Rusesabagina about his alleged involvement in rebel groups. — Morgan Winsor, ABC News, "Paul Rusesabagina was called a hero after 'Hotel Rwanda,' now he's accused of terrorism," 25 Apr. 2021 Since the 1990s an array of rebel groups, many defined by ethnic identity, have sought to overthrow him. — New York Times, "Where Did Chad Rebels Prepare for Their Own War? In Libya.," 22 Apr. 2021 Wai Moe Naing is part of a small, loose network of people who have begun helping protesters opposing the Feb. 1 coup train with rebel groups who have battled the country’s military for decades. — Feliz Solomon, WSJ, "Myanmar’s Military Has Many Enemies. Protesters Are Asking for Their Help.," 13 Apr. 2021 Russia and Iran have supported the government, while the U.S., Gulf Arab countries and Turkey backed the rebel groups. — Saphora Smith, NBC News, "10 years after Syrian uprising, boy who helped light war's fuse doubts it was worth it," 18 Mar. 2021 The suspicion extends beyond just one general: The military complained last year to Chinese President Xi Jinping about China’s financing of rebel groups, a charge that Xi denied. — Timothy Mclaughlin, The Atlantic, "Was Myanmar’s Coup Really a Win for Beijing?," 22 Feb. 2021 The three rebel groups have signed separate peace deals with Duterte's predecessors which have eased decades of fighting but have not been fully enforced due to unresolved issues. — Jim Gomez, Star Tribune, "Philippine president approves amnesty program for rebels," 16 Feb. 2021 Militant attacks in several states, including Maharashtra, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, where the rebel movement still has traction, are common. — Rishabh M Pratap And Swati Gupta, CNN, "At least 22 Indian security personnel killed in clash with Maoist insurgents," 5 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun In February 2012, Anthony Shadid, the Times’s Beirut bureau chief, died of an acute asthma attack while reporting from rebel territory in the northwest. — James Harkin, Harper's Magazine, "Sign of the Times," 27 Apr. 2021 The Premier League held a meeting without its six rebel teams, and the remaining 14 clubs discussed what punitive measures to take against those who had signed up for the Super League. — New York Times, "How the Super League Fell Apart," 22 Apr. 2021 Shares for rebel clubs have jumped following the announcement. — Robert Hart, Forbes, "Shares Rise, Outrage Kicks Off As Europe’s Biggest Soccer Teams Plot Breakaway ‘Super League’," 19 Apr. 2021 The 12 rebel clubs already have the highest revenues in world soccer, earning hundreds of millions of dollars from playing in domestic leagues and selling sponsorships globally. — Graham Dunbar, ajc, "Winners and losers in Super League plan for European soccer," 19 Apr. 2021 The 12 rebel clubs already have the highest revenues in world soccer, earning hundreds of millions of dollars from playing in domestic leagues and selling sponsorships globally. — Graham Dunbar, chicagotribune.com, "Winners and losers in Super League plan for European soccer," 19 Apr. 2021 The 12 rebel clubs already have the highest revenues in world soccer, earning hundreds of millions of dollars from playing in domestic leagues and selling sponsorships globally. — Graham Dunbar, Star Tribune, "Winners and losers in Super League plan for European soccer," 19 Apr. 2021 The lanky singer, perennially clad in shades, black leather jacket, frayed jeans and sneakers, formed the Queens quartet in 1974 and surfaced on the punk scene two years later as the genre's prototype, a loud, proud geek rebel. — Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, "'SNL' comedian Pete Davidson to rock out as punk legend Joey Ramone in Netflix biopic," 16 Apr. 2021 The acerbic rebel Jubal Early played the lead role in this process. — John Reeves, WSJ, "Five Best: Books on the Confederates’ Lost Cause," 23 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb However, loved ones may rebel if they are treated unsympathetically. — Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive, "Horoscope for April 27, 2021: Virgo, your social life is abuzz with activity; Aquarius, tidy up mind, home," 27 Apr. 2021 The tribes’ crucial role in the kingdom began during World War I when the Hashemites, along with Lawrence of Arabia, cajoled the tribes to rebel against their Ottoman overseers. — Los Angeles Times, "Jordan’s powerful tribes on collision course with monarchy over alleged royal plot," 14 Apr. 2021 Where some find the power to rebel in their music, others find spiritual ecstasy. — Avital Chizhik-goldschmidt, Glamour, "Orthodox Jewish Women Can't Sing In Front of Men. Instagram Is Changing That," 12 Apr. 2021 Alternatively, people may rise up and rebel against constant surveillance and the efforts of spying governments and marketers to control them. — Firmin Debrabander, The Conversation, "Privacy may be under threat, but its protection alone isn’t enough to preserve civil liberties," 23 Mar. 2021 Once onboard they were stripped naked; the men were sent below, while the women and children—less likely to rebel—were kept on deck. — James Oakes, The New York Review of Books, "Why Did the Slave Trade Survive So Long?," 23 Mar. 2021 Even with the federal rule requiring face masks for air travel, some passengers continue to rebel. — Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, "Passenger Facing $27,500 Fine for Reportedly Assaulting Flight Attendant for Enforcing Face Mask Rules," 3 Mar. 2021 There is evidence to show that education inspired students to rebel against their circumstances, Ms. Brown said. — New York Times, "University Finds 18th-Century Schoolhouse Where Black Children Learned to Read," 26 Feb. 2021 But the final finale still manages to give us pause with its insistence that white tigers may be scarce, but people who rebel against injustice are growing in number. — Chris Hewitt, Star Tribune, "'The White Tiger' is a corrosive satire of the Indian caste system," 21 Jan. 2021

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about rebel

Dictionary Entries near rebel

Statistics for rebel

Last Updated

8 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Rebel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebel. Accessed 13 May. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for rebel

rebel

noun

English Language Learners Definition of rebel

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a person who opposes or fights against a government

: a person who opposes a person or group in authority : a person who does not obey rules or accept normal standards of behavior, dress, etc.

rebel

verb

English Language Learners Definition of rebel (Entry 2 of 2)

: to oppose or fight against a government

: to oppose a person or group in authority : to refuse to obey rules or accept normal standards of behavior, dress, etc.

See the full definition for rebel in the English Language Learners Dictionary

rebel

noun

reb·el | \ ˈre-bəl

Kids Definition of rebel

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a person who opposes or fights against a government

2 : a person who does not obey authority or follow usual standards

rebel

verb

re·bel | \ ri-ˈbel

rebelled; rebelling

Kids Definition of rebel (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : to be or fight against authority and especially the authority of a person's government

2 : to feel or show anger, strong dislike, or disapproval “She wanted to make it a whole purple suit, but I rebelled.”— Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

rebel

adjective

reb·el | \ ˈre-bəl

Kids Definition of rebel (Entry 3 of 3)

: opposing or fighting against a government or ruler