subversion
noun
-shən\
Definition of subversion
1 : the act of subverting : the state of being subverted especially : a systematic attempt to overthrow or undermine a government or political system by persons working secretly from within
2 obsolete : a cause of overthrow or destruction
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Other Words from subversion
-shə-
\
adjective
-ziv
\
adjective or noun
Examples of subversion in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Meanwhile, a court sentenced a prominent dissident, Qin Yongmin, to 13 years in prison for subversion. — The Economist, "Politics this week," 12 July 2018 China sentenced Liu Xiaobo in 2009 to 11 years' imprisonment on charges of inciting subversion of state power. — Fox News, "The Latest: Rights groups cautiously hail Liu Xia departure," 10 July 2018 He had been sentenced to 11 years in prison on charges of inciting subversion of state power. — Deutsche Welle, USA TODAY, "Liu Xia, wife of late jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, leaves China," 10 July 2018 So where did this latest fashion subversion come from? — Samuel Hine, GQ, "The Daring New Trend in Pants Is…Shorts," 2 July 2018 Presumably this resulted from Catholic subversion of public education. — Longreads, "Oregon’s Racist Past," 12 July 2018 In other words, the very beginning of the Bible represents a literary subversion of the binary trope Peterson insists has defined human culture. — Tara Isabella Burton, Vox, "The religious hunger that drives Jordan Peterson’s fandom," 1 June 2018 The subversion of America’s immigration laws is a phenomenon that Americans of all races can recognize as a legitimate policy problem. — Eric Leivtz, Daily Intelligencer, "For Democrats, Immigration Is a Political Problem Without a Policy Solution," 2 July 2018 Not to mention, a bleached set of brows that added a hint of subversion. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "This Model Chopped Off 3 Feet Hair for the Miu Miu Runway—and She’s Almost Unrecognizable," 1 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'subversion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for subversion
subversion
noun
\
Legal Definition of subversion
: a systematic attempt to overthrow or undermine a government or political system by persons working from within also : the crime of committing acts in furtherance of such an attempt
Other Words from subversion
\
adjective
\
adjective or noun
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