revolt

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

revolution and revolt

Revolution and revolt have a shared origin, both ultimately going back to the Latin revolvere “to revolve, roll back.” When revolution first appeared in English in the 14th century, it referred to the movement of a celestial body in orbit; that sense was extended to “a progressive motion of a body around an axis,” “completion of a course,” and other senses suggesting regularity of motion or a predictable return to an original position. At virtually the same time, the word developed a sharply different meaning, namely, ”a sudden radical, or complete change,” apparently from the idea of reversal of direction implicit in the Latin verb. Revolt , which initially meant “to renounce allegiance,” grew from the same idea of “rolling back,” in this case from a prior bond of loyalty.

Origin and Etymology of revolt

Middle French revolter, from Old Italian rivoltare to overthrow, from Vulgar Latin *revolvitare, frequentative of Latin revolvere to revolve, roll back

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1539

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

revolt Synonyms

Phrases

turn one's stomach;

revolt

noun

Definition of revolt

1 : a renouncing of allegiance (as to a government or party); especially : a determined armed uprising

2 : a movement or expression of vigorous dissent

See revolt defined for English-language learners

Examples of revolt in a Sentence

the revolt of the slaves
The peasants' revolt was crushed by the king.
The leader of the group called for revolt.
Consumers are in revolt against high prices.

Recent Examples of revolt from the Web

However, the game opens with very little action, the fans revolt and there is a riot that spreads into town.

— pete grathoff, kansascity, "The end of Japan's World Cup game was straight out of 'The Simpsons'," 28 June 2018
The Whiskey Rebellion was put down by President George Washington, who led 12,950 militia men into Pennsylvania to quash the revolt in 1794.

— alan ashe, CNN, "It's National Moonshine Day. We answer your questions," 7 June 2018
The epicenter of early phases of the student revolt, the Paris suburb of Nanterre, was in fact governed at the time by the PCF, making a clash between the old and the new left inevitable.

— alan wolfe, The New Republic, "A Most Violent Year," 18 May 2018
For that matter, the French student revolt seems morally superficial compared to the fate of the Czechs, with the Prague Spring crushed by Soviet tanks.

— mark feeney, BostonGlobe.com, "Looking back on the upheaval of the ’60s," 15 May 2018
Inspired by Arab Spring revolts in other countries, Syrians in a number of areas took to the streets to demand political changes.

— nada homsi and nick cumming-bruce, New York Times, "‘We Were Dying in There’: Thousands of Syrians Flee Rebel Enclave," 15 Mar. 2018
The world in 1968-69 was in turmoil, a seismic social and political ruckus spanning civil rights clashes in Alabama, student revolts in Paris, the Russian invasion of Prague, the Tet offensive in Vietnam, civil war in Biafra and more.

— christopher knight, latimes.com, "'Harald Szeemann': A rare, fascinating exhibition about the curator, not the artist," 8 Mar. 2018
Have all the wives always been prepared for a small revolt at a moment's notice?

— daniel fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "Critic's Notebook: 'Handmaid's Tale' Finale a Case of Brilliant Acting, Frustrating Storytelling," 11 July 2018
And filmmaker, Michael Moore, urging the resistance to continue their revolts.

— Fox News, "President Trump faces pivotal days at home and overseas," 6 July 2018

First Known Use of revolt

1560

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

revolt Synonyms

Synonyms

insurgence, insurgency, insurrection, mutiny, outbreak, rebellion, revolution, rising, uprising;

Near Antonyms

counterinsurgency, counterrevolution;

sedition, treachery, treason;

subversion;

Synonym Discussion of revolt

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

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

REVOLT Defined for English Language Learners

revolt

verb

Definition of revolt for English Language Learners

: to fight in a violent way against the rule of a leader or government
: to act in a way that shows that you do not accept the control or influence of someone or something
: to cause (someone) to feel disgust or shock

revolt

noun

Definition of revolt for English Language Learners

: violent action against a ruler or government
: something which shows that you will not accept something or will not agree to be controlled or influenced by someone or something