as in rebellion
refusal to obey
her habitual rebelliousness eventually landed her in the principal's office
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Recent Examples of rebelliousness
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
The natural obstinacy and rebelliousness of Israa’s teenage years are hyperaccelerated by culture clashes with both her family and the other kids around her.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2026
This transit stokes your sense of independence and even rebelliousness, inspiring you to strike out against convention and innovate more than ever.
—Maressa Brown, InStyle, 9 Jan. 2026
At times, Carol’s admirable rebelliousness seems to come at the cost of self-flagellating destruction, a badge of honor to be miserable.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2025
The rebelliousness can be witnessed in everything from its ’70s-in-California style to the very naming conventions Mother chooses for its viral products — adored by A-listers like Gigi Hadid, Chrissy Teigen, Millie Bobby Brown, and more.
—Kristina Rutkowski, Footwear News, 22 Sep. 2025
This element of female rebelliousness is very important to me.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 23 Feb. 2026
The natural obstinacy and rebelliousness of Israa’s teenage years are hyperaccelerated by culture clashes with both her family and the other kids around her.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2026
This transit stokes your sense of independence and even rebelliousness, inspiring you to strike out against convention and innovate more than ever.
—Maressa Brown, InStyle, 9 Jan. 2026
At times, Carol’s admirable rebelliousness seems to come at the cost of self-flagellating destruction, a badge of honor to be miserable.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2025
The rebelliousness can be witnessed in everything from its ’70s-in-California style to the very naming conventions Mother chooses for its viral products — adored by A-listers like Gigi Hadid, Chrissy Teigen, Millie Bobby Brown, and more.
—Kristina Rutkowski, Footwear News, 22 Sep. 2025
This element of female rebelliousness is very important to me.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebelliousness
Noun
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Burlington Central’s Mackenzie Lorkowski traced the roots of her career to a small act of rebellion.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
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As Fisk's anti-vigilante task force abducts dissidents off the street, locking them away in an undisclosed warehouse full of cages, Daredevil (Charlie Cox) becomes a symbol of rebellion for those willing to fight back.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Robin Wright explains that the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new leader signals defiance.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
17 Mar. 2026
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But Saturday's launches appeared to dim such hopes, signaling defiance by Pyongyang, which in recent months has hardened its stance toward Seoul and urged Washington to drop denuclearization demands as a precondition for talks.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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The orphan’s predicament is as much a matter of willfulness as of survival—inseparable, as in the works of Charles Dickens, from a dream of being somehow rescued by the idea of an adult world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rebelliousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebelliousness. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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