disobedience

noun

ˌdis-ə-ˈbē-dē-ən(t)s How to pronounce disobedience (audio)
Definition of disobediencenext
as in rebellion
refusal to obey they gave up on training the dog to fetch because of his constant disobedience

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 disobedience There is zero tolerance for political disobedience. — Daniel Drake, The New York Review of Books, 16 May 2026 He was also booked on fresh charges of felony vandalism, battery against a former dating partner and willful disobedience of a court order. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026 On Wednesday, dissident artists Pussy Riot stormed the Russian pavilion while waving Ukrainian flags and calling for disobedience. — News Desk, Artforum, 6 May 2026 Fernando Melo Flores, a 40-year-old Irvine resident, was charged with one felony count of possession of child pornography, one felony count of unauthorized computer access, and one misdemeanor count of willful disobedience of a court order. — Ryanne Mena, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disobedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disobedience
  1. rebellion
  2. defiance
  3. willfulness
  4. rebelliousness
Noun
  • Mali has previously faced insurgencies by militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the country’s north.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
  • Shakespeare’s description now appears more significant and also helps explain why the Bard’s production of Richard II in February 1601 coincided with the start of the Earl of Essex’s rebellion.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • There was also a vivid sense of defiance in her capacity to bare so much, to sing about her fear of relapse to a crowd of thousands.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • In his view, that defiance forced the GOP to take extreme measures and go it alone.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 12 July 2026
Definition of defiance
Noun
  • Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.
    — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.
    — Brad Shoup, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2026
Definition of willfulness
Noun
  • Marji’s rebelliousness, both admirable and terrifying for those who love her, is her salient characteristic.
    — Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
  • The pseudo-goth hair and costume choices speak to an inner rebelliousness that isn’t so much unleashed as forced loose by a system that values the appearance of a mythical impartiality over her humanity, leaving her with little recourse but to step outside the confines of the law.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 23 Feb. 2026
Definition of rebelliousness

Phrases Containing disobedience

Browse Nearby Words

dismounts
disobedience
disobedient
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disobedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disobedience. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on disobedience

Nglish: Translation of disobedience for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of bibelot

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All