insurgency

[ in-sur-juhn-see ]

noun

, plural in·sur·gen·cies

1. the state or condition of being insurgent.
2. insurrection against an existing government, usually one's own, by a group not recognized as having the status of a belligerent.
3. rebellion within a group, as by members against leaders.
4. insurgence.

Word History and Origins

Origin of insurgency¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; insurg(ent) + -ency

Example Sentences

But she has also emerged as an often lonely voice on the Board of Supervisors against a far-right insurgency that has roiled her county.

From Los Angeles Times

Women in Somalia - which has suffered a long civil war and a more recent Islamist insurgency - have long played a vital role in peacebuilding, often stepping into leadership roles and pushing for greater political participation.

From BBC

Both were childhood friends who had sheltered together in the same camp in 2009 during the height of the insurgency in Mogadishu - he was someone he could trust.

From BBC

Sikh separatism - rooted in a bloody insurgency in India during the 1980s and early ’90s - continues to strain relations between the two countries.

From BBC

The region has witnessed a violent insurgency against Indian rule for more than three decades, resulting in thousands of deaths.

From BBC

Related Words

• dissent
• insurrection
• mutiny
• revolt
• revolution
• uprising