: a disturbed, uneasy, or turbulent state : turmoil
The country has experienced years of civil/social/political unrest.
Examples of unrest in a Sentence
The country has experienced years of civil unrest.
unrest gripped the city as the people nervously awaited the expected bombardment
Recent Examples on the Web
An ensuing grain shortage threatened to spark a famine or civil unrest, so Italian city-states, such as Venice and Genoa, resorted to emergency imports from the Black Sea region, which helped keep the population fed.
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Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025
Their lawyer says they were detained for starting a petition calling for an independent inquiry into the fire — a sign of how concerned Beijing is that the tragedy could lead to fresh civil unrest in the previously semi-autonomous southern metropolis.
—Anna Coren, CBS News, 1 Dec. 2025
When Amir is arrested on charges of attempting to create social unrest, Fatima embarks on a perilous journey with an old cathode-ray tube television and DVD player loaded onto a yak, determined to screen the film in remote villages.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Dec. 2025
The fire, the city’s deadliest since 1948, spurred calls for investigations and accountability, but officials are sensitive to potential unrest after protests in 2019 led to a wide crackdown on dissent.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unrest
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Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025
Their lawyer says they were detained for starting a petition calling for an independent inquiry into the fire — a sign of how concerned Beijing is that the tragedy could lead to fresh civil unrest in the previously semi-autonomous southern metropolis.
—Anna Coren, CBS News, 1 Dec. 2025
When Amir is arrested on charges of attempting to create social unrest, Fatima embarks on a perilous journey with an old cathode-ray tube television and DVD player loaded onto a yak, determined to screen the film in remote villages.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Dec. 2025
The fire, the city’s deadliest since 1948, spurred calls for investigations and accountability, but officials are sensitive to potential unrest after protests in 2019 led to a wide crackdown on dissent.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unrest
Cite this Entry
“Unrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unrest. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
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