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
Together, these houses of worship helped form the start of what became the Sanctuary Movement in America, a moment of interfaith civil disobedience that spread across the country.
—
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2026
No matter what the circumstances, ICE is no more sacrosanct than any other law enforcement agency, and there’s no death penalty for civil disobedience.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026
This movement also laid the framework for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which passed after many years of nonviolent protests and civil disobedience campaigns.
—Leslie Hoyle Guerra, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
In this moment of democratic backsliding, whistleblowers show that civil disobedience – breaking the law to uphold the public good – remains an essential principle of political and moral life.
—Kate Kenny, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil disobedience
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2026
No matter what the circumstances, ICE is no more sacrosanct than any other law enforcement agency, and there’s no death penalty for civil disobedience.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026
This movement also laid the framework for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which passed after many years of nonviolent protests and civil disobedience campaigns.
—Leslie Hoyle Guerra, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
In this moment of democratic backsliding, whistleblowers show that civil disobedience – breaking the law to uphold the public good – remains an essential principle of political and moral life.
—Kate Kenny, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil disobedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil disobedience
Noun
-
Yoon, who has already been in jail for months, faces eight criminal trials including his rebellion case over the martial law decree and other accusations.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Jan. 2026
-
But Cialente also captures the discordant keys of a multigenerational household, from childlike angst to youthful rebellion to marital frustration.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Activists arrested in defiance of The Homeland have had their portraits altered via AI.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
-
This, too, gave audiences a sense of being in-the-moment, offering a contemporary upgrade for our current times, showing a bit of defiance, a bit of dishevelment and a sense of personality that’s often lost in the polished, proper world of high fashion.—
Brett F. Braley-Palko,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Some might argue that for middle America conditions are not yet painful enough, socially or economically, to inspire sustained noncooperation.—
Michael Shank,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Civil disobedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20disobedience. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
