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civil disobedience
[ siv-uhl dis-uh-bee-dee-uhns ]
noun
- the refusal to obey certain laws or governmental demands for the purpose of influencing legislation or government policy, characterized by the employment of such nonviolent techniques as boycotting, picketing, and nonpayment of taxes. Compare noncooperation ( def 2 ), passive resistance.
- (initial capital letters, italics) an essay (1848) by Thoreau.
civil disobedience
noun
- a refusal to obey laws, pay taxes, etc: a nonviolent means of protesting or of attempting to achieve political goals
civil disobedience
1- The refusal to obey a law out of a belief that the law is morally wrong.
“Civil Disobedience”
2- (1849) An essay by Henry David Thoreau . It contains his famous statement “That government is best which governs least,” and asserts that people's obligations to their own conscience take precedence over their obligations to their government. Thoreau also argues that if, in following their conscience, people find it necessary to break the laws of the state, they should be prepared to pay penalties, including imprisonment.
Notes
Word History and Origins
Origin of civil disobedience1
Example Sentences
What’s more, while some young people are worried that acts of civil disobedience might hinder their chances of getting a job down the line, that’s not a concern for people who are retired.
“Where we need to go is truly mass protest, hundreds of thousands of people getting in the street, occupying buildings, taking up nonviolent civil disobedience.”
“We are a free speech university. But to intentionally break the rules ... now you’re in the world of civil disobedience and we’re going to think about consequences.”
“It’s part of our culture. We are a free speech university. But to intentionally break the rules ... now you’re in the world of civil disobedience and we’re going to think about consequences.”
A weeks-long nationwide campaign of civil disobedience - which erupted over civil service job quotas - had triggered a violent crackdown, leaving hundreds dead in its wake.
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