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

While some resistance remains, the Taliban will transition from an insurgency to a ruling government.

From The Daily Beast

This violence, in part, fueled the insurgency, mitigating the good America also did the country.

From Washington Post

In addition to assurances that the insurgency was on its heels, officials often trotted out statistics about lower infant mortality rates, increased life expectancy and vastly improved educational opportunities for girls.

From ProPublica

Back then, Afghanistan was wide open for al-Qaida, but there had not yet been a civil war in Syria, an insurgency and its still-unsettled aftermath in Iraq, a revolution in Libya followed by a civil war.

From Ozy

Fighting an insurgency is a long game indeed, and we did not heed the historical need for patience –the opposite of unwarranted self-confidence.

From Time

Originally it was a low-level insurgency mainly confined to the Sinai Peninsula .

From The Daily Beast

Rather, the revolution was brought there by certain elements of the insurgency.

From The Daily Beast

They were busily implementing these in cases like Roe v. Wade when a right-wing insurgency took them by surprise.

From The Daily Beast

You are not trying to create an insurgency, after all, you are trying to stop one.

From The Daily Beast

But if Kobani falls it could well end up re-igniting the 30-year long Kurdish insurgency inside Turkey.

From The Daily Beast

In short, insurgency ceased to be a valid plea; if it existed in fact, officially it had become a dead letter.

From Project Gutenberg

The people of Virginia were most anxious to get rid of a band of malefactors guilty of insurgency, conspiracy, and rebellion.

From Project Gutenberg

No insurgency of words arose in denunciation of the wrong done to her nature.

From Project Gutenberg

One could easily imagine it to be a congress of crows exorcised over an insurgency move and demanding the previous question.

From Project Gutenberg

Their father had been a stalwart before them in Iowa, where Cummins had created so much commotion with his insurgency.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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