insurgent
Americannoun
-
a person who rises in forcible opposition to lawful authority, especially a person who engages in armed resistance to a government or to the execution of its laws; rebel.
-
a member of a section of a political party that revolts against the methods or policies of the party.
adjective
-
of or characteristic of an insurgent or insurgents.
- Synonyms:
- mutinous, revolutionary, rebellious
-
surging or rushing in.
The insurgent waves battered the shore.
adjective
noun
-
a person who takes part in an uprising or rebellion; insurrectionist
-
international law a person or group that rises in revolt against an established government or authority but whose conduct does not amount to belligerency
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of insurgent
1755–65; < Latin insurgent- (stem of insurgēns ) present participle of insurgere to get up, ascend, rebel. See in- 2, surge, -ent
Explanation
An insurgent is a rebel or a revolutionary, someone who takes up arms against the authorities. Insurgent is from the Latin word “insurgentem,” literally meaning “to rise against,” so think of an insurgent as a fighter who rises against the people in power. Often insurgents are considered terrorists because they use violence to intimidate people.
Vocabulary lists containing insurgent
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
ASVAB Word Knowledge
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In May, Ethiopia and Sudan -- engulfed by civil war since 2023 -- traded accusations that each had violated the other's territory and were supporting insurgent forces.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
As the stock languished in penny-stock territory around the end of 2024, insurgent squads of space enthusiasts huddled in scattered corners of the internet.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
The episode helped forge the persona she would cultivate for decades: part street fighter, part martyr - a perpetual insurgent even in power.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
When “SNL” made its debut in 1975, its insurgent approach to comedy was influenced by British acts of the time, especially Monty Python.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
While Jack was on leave taking care of Sophie, Hoagland told me how Jack had been abducted in Cyprus by a red insurgent faction in sixty-four.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
