insurrection

[ in-suh-rek-shuhn ]

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

/ ˌɪnsəˈrɛkʃən /

noun

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

Derived Forms

• ˌinsurˈrectional, adjective
• ˌinsurˈrectionary, nounadjective
• ˌinsurˈrectionism, noun
• ˌinsurˈrectionist, nounadjective

Other Words From

• insur·rection·al adjective
• insur·rection·al·ly adverb
• insur·rection·ism noun
• insur·rection·ist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of insurrection¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of insurrection¹

C15: from Late Latin insurrectiō, from insurgere to rise up

Example Sentences

Out of more than 1,500 criminal defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

But Trump has since soured on Wray, whose bureau has been arrested scores of people who participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

From Salon

The program, which never aired on Fox News Channel, pushed the false theory that the insurrection in the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 was instigated by government agents.

From Los Angeles Times

And now they can add that it’s true even if they lie, cheat and incite a deadly insurrection against the nation’s government.

From Los Angeles Times

However, these statements were clearly an allusion to the former president’s refusal to accept the 2020 election outcome and the ensuing insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress worked to certify the electoral college vote.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• coup
• insurgency
• mutiny
• revolt
• revolution
• riot
• sedition
• uprising

More About Insurrection

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.

The man directly responsible for the chaos of today is Donald Trump, who has made it clear that he will do anything to remain in power – including insurrection and inciting violence. Trump will go down in history as the worst and most dangerous president in history.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 6, 2021

Senator Mitt Romney condemned President Trump on Wednesday night for the breaching of the Capitol by his supporters.

“What happened here today was an insurrection, incited by the president of the United States,” Romney said in a statement.https://t.co/4949BfMS40

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 7, 2021

 

Insurrection vs. sedition vs. coup

Those discussing the events also used other strong words, including sedition, coup (and coup d’état), and (domestic) terrorism. Sedition is incitement or promotion of rebellion against the government, while an insurrection is an active rebellion or uprising against the government. Those who engage in insurrection can be called insurrectionists. In the context of government overthrow, the word coup is short for coup d’état, which narrowly refers to an illegal or forceful change of government, as opposed to an uprising in general. A coup may be attempted with the intention of removing a single political leader, rather than instituting an entirely new form of government, for example. Despite the differences in their meanings, terms like sedition, insurrection, and coup are sometimes used in the discussion of the same events. For example, sedition may inspire an insurrection that results in a coup.

More broadly, terrorism involves the use of violence or threats of violence—especially against civilians—to achieve some political aim. Domestic terrorism specifically refers to acts of terrorism against one’s fellow citizens. By contrast, the word insurrection typically refers to acts that target the government, rather than civilians. However, some acts of insurrection may also be considered acts of terrorism.

Some discussing the events of January 6 described them as having the atmosphere of a banana republic, which refers to an authoritarian country known for exploiting its citizens for the benefit of wealthy elites and foreign corporations. (Use of the term is often criticized due to disparaging associations with Central American countries.)