as in rebellion
refusal to obey laws as a way of forcing the government to do or change something
In an act of civil disobedience, the family sent its tax money to an antiwar organization. A student organization is encouraging civil disobedience as a way to get the university to change its policies.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of civil disobedience
All 13 people arrested were given a summons for civil disobedience and released from custody.
—
Doug Williams, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Protests from the group lasted for weeks and had a mix of civil disobedience and violence between protestors and police.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
In Iran’s history, the telegraph played a significant role in political movements, organized protests, and civil disobedience as far back as the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
So civil disobedience and noncompliance are indeed justified.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil disobedience
Doug Williams, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Protests from the group lasted for weeks and had a mix of civil disobedience and violence between protestors and police.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
In Iran’s history, the telegraph played a significant role in political movements, organized protests, and civil disobedience as far back as the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
So civil disobedience and noncompliance are indeed justified.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil disobedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil disobedience
Noun
-
Enslaved by a tyrannical regime for nearly half a century, everyday Iranians long passionately for their freedom, as the rebellion earlier this year showed.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
In 1999, the Labour government of then-Prime Minister Tony Blair evicted most of the 750 hereditary peers, though 92 were allowed to remain temporarily to avoid an aristocrats’ rebellion.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The lower-polling Democrats reacted with defiance; all but one filed paperwork to officially declare their candidacy.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
10 Mar. 2026
-
There would be no defiance of the odds by the Ducks on Sunday, when their third period came and went without a goal, just as the first two had.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The critics from back then are on him again now—except this time many are urging him to have local police act more proactively to protect residents from ICE’s excesses and to hold the line on noncooperation with DHS.—
Julia Terruso,
Time,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Nevertheless, some common, noncooperation policies have existed in a handful of places, including Charlotte, where the police don't help with immigration enforcement.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Civil disobedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20disobedience. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
