rebellion

rebellion — noun

1. an organized attempt by a large number of people to overthrow their country's go

1.nounB2
Definition

an organized attempt by a large number of people to overthrow their country's government by fighting with weapons

Example

The rebellion in the northern provinces lasted two years before the army defeated it.

collocation: rebellion + in [region/place]

Hugo joined the rebellion after the government cancelled the elections.

Common collocations
  • armed rebellion
  • open rebellion
  • peasant rebellion
  • military rebellion
  • lead a rebellion
  • start a rebellion
  • crush a rebellion
  • suppress a rebellion
  • put down a rebellion
Synonyms
  • revolt

    similar but often suggests a sudden, shorter outbreak rather than a prolonged campaign

  • uprising

    more neutral term; can be smaller in scale than a rebellion

  • insurrection

    more formal and legal term; implies an organised attempt to take over the state

Antonyms
  • submission

    accepting the authority of the government without resistance

  • loyalty

    remaining faithful to the government or ruler

Grammar Patterns

rebellion + against

rebellion + within

Usage Note

Frequently appears with verbs such as lead, start, crush, suppress, and put down. The preposition against introduces the target of the rebellion, while within or in specifies the location.

Common Mistakes

The rebellion was lead by student groups.
The rebellion was led by student groups.
'lead' is present tense; the past participle is 'led'.

2. behaviour that openly challenges people in positions of power, rejects existing

2.nounB2
Definition

behaviour that openly challenges people in positions of power, rejects existing rules, or goes against what most people consider normal

Example

Teenage rebellion against parents is a normal part of growing up.

collocation: teenage rebellion / rebellion against

Wei refused to cut his hair in quiet rebellion against the school rules.

collocation: act of rebellion

Common collocations
  • teenage rebellion
  • youth rebellion
  • act of rebellion
  • quiet rebellion
  • in rebellion against
  • rebellion against tradition
  • rebellion against authority
Synonyms
  • defiance

    focuses on the open refusal to obey, often in a more individual, confrontational way

  • disobedience

    more general term for not following rules; less dramatic than rebellion

  • insubordination

    specifically about refusing to obey a superior in a workplace or military context

Antonyms
  • obedience

    following rules and orders without resistance

  • compliance

    accepting and following rules, norms, or requests

Grammar Patterns

act of rebellion

rebellion against

Usage Note

Can describe both serious opposition (within an organisation) and mild non-conformity (fashion, lifestyle). The preposition against introduces what is being resisted.

Common Mistakes

She is having a rebellion with her boss.
She is in rebellion against her boss.
use 'against', not 'with', after 'rebellion'.

Word family

  • rebel
    nounB2
  • rebel
    verbB2
  • rebellious
    adjectiveB2
  • rebelliously
    adverbC1
  • rebelliousness
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Rebellion, revolt, uprising, insurrection, and revolution all refer to resistance against authority, but they differ in scope and duration. A rebellion is typically a sustained, organised armed struggle against a government, often lasting months or years. A revolt is usually shorter and more spontaneous — a sudden refusal to obey or a brief outbreak of violence. An uprising is a broad, neutral term for people rising up, and can be either small or large. Insurrection is a formal, legal term for an organised attempt to seize state power. A revolution is the most far-reaching: it aims not just to remove rulers but to transform the entire political and social system. For example, the 1688 Glorious Revolution changed England's monarchy permanently, whereas a rebellion, such as the 1745 Jacobite rising, failed to alter the structure of power.

revoltuprisinginsurrectionrevolution ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • rebellion against
  • in rebellion
  • rebellion within

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Middle English rebellioun, from Old French rebellion, from Latin rebellio, meaning 'a renewal of war'. The Latin root combines re- ('again') and bellum ('war'). It originally referred to conquered peoples who rose up again in armed conflict against the Romans. The wider sense of resisting any kind of authority developed in the 1500s.