rebellion

noun

re·​bel·​lion ri-ˈbel-yən How to pronounce rebellion (audio)
1
: opposition to one in authority or dominance
2
a
: open, armed, and usually unsuccessful defiance of or resistance to an established government
b
: an instance of such defiance or resistance

Did you know?

Plenty of teenagers rebel against their parents in all kinds of ways. But a rebellion usually involves a group. Armed rebellions are usually put down by a country's armed forces, or at least kept from expanding beyond a small area. The American War of Independence was first viewed by the British as a minor rebellion that would soon run its course, but this particular rebellion led to a full-fledged revolution--that is, the overthrow of a government. Rebellion, armed or otherwise, has often alerted those in power that those they control are very unhappy.

Choose the Right Synonym for rebellion

rebellion, revolution, uprising, revolt, insurrection, mutiny mean an outbreak against authority.

rebellion implies an open formidable resistance that is often unsuccessful.

open rebellion against the officers

revolution applies to a successful rebellion resulting in a major change (as in government).

a political revolution that toppled the monarchy

uprising implies a brief, limited, and often immediately ineffective rebellion.

quickly put down the uprising

revolt and insurrection imply an armed uprising that quickly fails or succeeds.

a revolt by the Young Turks that surprised party leaders
an insurrection of oppressed laborers

mutiny applies to group insubordination or insurrection especially against naval authority.

a mutiny led by the ship's cook

Examples of rebellion in a Sentence

The king's army suppressed the rebellion. The unfair tax laws sparked a rebellion. The peasants rose in rebellion. She's the head of a rebellion against the leaders of the party. Recent election losses have led to open rebellion among some party members, who are calling for a complete change of leadership.
Recent Examples on the Web This week, in the normally staid Belgian capital of Brussels, months of protests by farmers across the 27-nation European Union became something much closer to a farmers rebellion. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Feb. 2024 In January, a group of hardliners staged a rebellion on the House floor, tanking a procedural vote to show opposition to the deal Johnson reached with Schumer. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024 In retrospect, physicists see that Anderson’s work contained the seeds of a rebellion against thermalization. Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 Behind an unmarked door in a boxy brick building outside Boston, a quiet rebellion is taking place. Pam Belluck, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Unbeknownst to them, a rebellion had been brewing all summer long. Rebecca Panovka, Harper's Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 This isn’t callousness or delusive optimism but, rather, a rebellion against the suffocating expectation that the elderly have foreclosed the possibility of joy. Hillary Kelly, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2024 The classic teenage rebellion and the desire to get free — which is counterintuitive — was mind-blowing for me. Matthew Jacobs, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024 Country music journalist and historian Marissa R. Moss explained to me in an interview that songs like these represented a personal rebellion, not a political one, which is why they were allowed on the airwaves. Lyz Lenz, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rebellion.' 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

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rebellion was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near rebellion

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

rebellion

noun
re·​bel·​lion ri-ˈbel-yən How to pronounce rebellion (audio)
1
: open opposition to authority
2
: open fighting against authority (as one's government)

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