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Synonyms

insurrection

American  
[in-suh-rek-shuhn] / ˌɪn səˈrɛk ʃən /

noun

  1. an act or instance of rising in revolt, rebellion, or resistance against civil authority or an established government.

    Synonyms:
    mutiny, uprising, insurgency
insurrection British  
/ ˌɪnsəˈrɛkʃən /

noun

  1. the act or an instance of rebelling against a government in power or the civil authorities; insurgency

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

  • insurrectional adjective
  • insurrectionally adverb
  • insurrectionary noun
  • insurrectionism noun
  • insurrectionist noun

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”; insurgent ) + -iō -ion

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.

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

It took South Koreans less than six hours to thwart the insurrection attempt that put him there.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

On the night of the attempted insurrection, the BBC spoke to an elderly man who was watching the fracas from afar.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

The court convicted the 65-year-old on Thursday on charges of insurrection and conspiring with military officials to mobilize troops in December 2024.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

Lilya did, but that wasn’t the end of her insurrection, or of her battle to maintain her femininity.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

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.