disobedience

noun

dis·​obe·​di·​ence ˌdis-ə-ˈbē-dē-ən(t)s How to pronounce disobedience (audio)
-ō-ˈbē-
: refusal or neglect to obey

Examples of disobedience in a Sentence

The student's disobedience shocked the teacher. The dog was punished for its disobedience.
Recent Examples on the Web Roosevelt was unimpressed by their creativity, not to mention their disobedience. Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 On Reddit, dozens of users described the bot’s disobedience on tasks, like asking it to write a short summary on a topic and instead receiving an essay. Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2024 Published in 1936, it was read by some as a parable about pacifism and disobedience (and banned in fascist Spain and Germany by Franco and Hitler). Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Nov. 2023 Her anger was easily aroused by disobedience and contradiction. Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 10 Sep. 2023 These new laws are the direct result of corporate and energy interests trying to squash resistance to their projects—and represent a chilling new chapter in how the law will handle disobedience. Jenna Ruddock, The New Republic, 25 Sep. 2023 A little civil disobedience — musical disobedience — can be refreshing. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 27 July 2023 Civil unrest, legal appeals and military disobedience: What Israel may face after Supreme Court law change Government ministers declined CNN’s request for an interview. Elliott Gotkine, CNN, 11 Aug. 2023 From escalated protests and possible military disobedience, to attempts by the court to rule the new law as invalid, coming days and weeks will test Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition’s readiness to defy public opinion. Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 25 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disobedience.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disobedience was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near disobedience

Cite this Entry

“Disobedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disobedience. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disobedience

noun
dis·​obe·​di·​ence ˌdis-ə-ˈbēd-ē-ən(t)s How to pronounce disobedience (audio)
: failure or refusal to obey
disobedient
-ənt
adjective
disobediently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on disobedience

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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