insurrection
Americannoun
noun
Usage
Why is insurrection trending? On January 6, 2021, lookups for the word insurrection skyrocketed 22,358% on Dictionary.com after a mob of supporters of Donald Trump stormed the U. S. Capitol building on the day Congress was set to certify the electoral vote count to confirm Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. Some journalists, political analysts, and politicians used the word insurrection to refer to the events that occurred in the nation’s capital.https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/1346960922615685121https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1346971096017297410
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of insurrection
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Late Latin insurrēctiōn-, stem of insurrēctiō, from insurrēct(us) “risen up, rebelled” (past participle of insurgere “to get up, ascend, rebel”; see insurgent) + -iō -ion
Explanation
Insurrection is an uprising against a larger force that's in power. An insurrection can lead to revolution, but it is just as likely to be put down. Other words for insurrection include "rebellion," "revolt," and "uprising," the last of which is the translation of insurrection's Latin roots. The Boston Tea Party is probably the most famous American act of insurrection. One who rises up in insurrection is called an insurgent by the force they are rising against. Like Paul Revere, insurgents are often called heroes by the people they are rising up to support.
Vocabulary lists containing insurrection
The Constitution of the United States
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Born a Crime
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"The Declaration of Independence," Vocabulary from the historical document
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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.
Washington led a military expedition to suppress the insurrection, but his preferred solution to Western fractiousness was to establish bonds of common interest between east and west through industry and commerce.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Brown himself was captured alive and indicted for the capital crimes of murder, insurrection, and treason against the Commonwealth of Virginia.
From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026
South Korea's ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol has been jailed for life for masterminding an insurrection by trying to impose military rule.
From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026
The minimum sentence for insurrection is life imprisonment, which attorney Yoo Jung-hoon said was the most likely outcome for Yoon.
From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026
The subject of slavery was introduced because some of the counties, alarmed by the Nat Turner insurrection, had petitioned for the gradual emancipation of the slaves or for abolition of slavery.
From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry
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.
