subversion

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noun sub·ver·sion \ səb-ˈvər-zhən , -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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subversionary

play \-zhə-ˌner-ē, -shə-\ adjective

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subversive

play \-ˈvər-siv, -ziv\ adjective or noun

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subversively

adverb

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subversiveness

noun

See subversion defined for kids

Recent Examples of subversion from the Web

Subversion by Satellite: This All-Female Talk Show Is Making Waves in Iran Meet the women talking taboos in Tehran.

— abigail haworth, Marie Claire, "Subversion by Satellite: This All-Female Talk Show Is Making Waves in Iran," 24 Aug. 2017
Urine specimens that measure hotter than 100 degrees or cooler than 90 degrees are rejected outright as a sign of subversion.

— mark davis, kansascity, "Fake pee is trickling into drug tests, but there are ways to flush out the cheaters," 3 Aug. 2017
Liu is survived by his wife, the poet Liu Xia, who has been held under house arrest in their Beijing apartment since his 2009 conviction for inciting subversion of state power.

— ting shi, Bloomberg.com, "China Defends Nobel Laureate's Care After Death Fuels Outcry," 14 July 2017
On the one hand, this campaign of entrepreneurial, self-starter subversion presents the Kremlin with considerable advantages.

— mark galeotti, The Atlantic, "What Exactly are 'Kremlin Ties'?," 12 July 2017
The effort led to a flurry of new, disturbing reports — many of them presented in the President’s Daily Brief — about Russia’s subversion of the 2016 race.

— greg miller, Washington Post, "Obama’s secret struggle to punish Russia for Putin’s election assault," 23 June 2017
The effort led to a flurry of new, disturbing reports - many of them presented in the President's Daily Brief - about Russia's subversion of the 2016 race.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "Obama's secret struggle to punish Russia for Putin's election assault," 23 June 2017
Warmbier was accused of trying to steal a propaganda banner while visiting North Korea in 2015 and was later convicted of subversion.

— CBS News, "Funeral for Otto Warmbier held in Ohio," 22 June 2017
Warmbier was accused in January 2015 of trying to steal a propaganda banner at his hotel while visiting North Korea, tearfully confessed and was convicted of subversion.

— dan sewell, The Seattle Times, "Ohio city makes plans for North Korea-held student’s funeral," 21 June 2017

These 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.

Did You Know?

Subversion is literally the "turning over" of something. In the 1950s and '60s, many people worried about communist subversion of the U.S. government, though they often saw subversive activities where none existed. Nondemocratic governments often claim that anyone who disagrees with them or joins a demonstration is a subversive. But subversion isn't always quite so serious a matter; when words like weekend, sandwich, job, *and *camping started being used by the French, for example, some of them began claiming that America was subverting their language.

Origin and Etymology of subversion

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin subversion-, subversio, from Latin subvertere

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Government and Politics Terms

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

Law Dictionary

subversion

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noun sub·ver·sion \ səb-ˈvər-zhən \

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

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