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
subversively
adverbsubversiveness
nounIndulge Your Inner Word Nerd
Recent Examples of subversion from the Web
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On the one hand, this campaign of entrepreneurial, self-starter subversion presents the Kremlin with considerable advantages.
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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.
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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.
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Warmbier was accused of trying to steal a propaganda banner while visiting North Korea in 2015 and was later convicted of subversion.
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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.
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The already tense dynamic with North Korea intensified after Otto Warmbier, the 22-year-old Ohio native held captive in North Korea for 17 months on spurious charges of subversion, was returned home last week in a near-comatose state.
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The University of Virginia student was accused of trying to steal a propaganda banner while visiting with a tour group and was convicted of subversion.
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Warmbier was accused of trying to steal a propaganda banner while visiting with a tour group and was convicted of subversion.
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
Other Government and Politics Terms
Law Dictionary
subversion
playLegal 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
subversively
adverbsubversiveness
nounLearn More about subversion
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See words that rhyme with subversion Spanish Central: Translation of subversion Nglish: Translation of subversion for Spanish speakers
Seen and Heard
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