INDEX:
1. an attempt to change the government or other authority, often using violence
2. an attempt by the army to take control of the government
3. to take part in a rebellion
4. someone who takes part in a rebellion
5. someone who encourages rebellion
6. actions, speeches etc that encourage rebellion
RELATED WORDS
when there is a complete change in the way people do something : ↑ CHANGE/NOT CHANGE
to stop a rebellion : ↑ STOP
see also
↑ GOVERNMENT
↑ DISOBEY
↑ FIGHT
↑ WAR
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1. an attempt to change the government or other authority, often using violence
▷ rebellion /rɪˈbeljən/ [countable/uncountable noun]
an organized attempt to change the government or other authority, often by using violence :
▪ In 1968, a student rebellion in Paris sparked off a nationwide general strike.
▪ The rebellion started in Kilalla and spread quickly through the Western provinces.
rebellion against
▪ The citizens of Kwangju rose in rebellion against the oppressive regime.
▪ The Duke of Ormond led a military rebellion against the new king.
crush/put down a rebellion
use force to stop it
▪ Troops were used to put down a rebellion and arrest hundreds of protestors.
▪ The rebellion was crushed by an army assault in which over 200 people died.
mount/stage a rebellion
begin a rebellion
▪ an unsuccessful attempt to mount a rebellion against British rule
▪ A rebel army of political dissidents had staged a rebellion in December 1989.
▷ revolution /ˌrevəˈluːʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a successful attempt by the people of a country to change or destroy the government, often by using violence :
▪ The 1789 revolution marked the end of the French monarchy.
▪ Trotsky was one of the leading figures in the Russian Revolution of 1917.
▪ Just 12 days after the emperor’s death, the country erupted into revolution.
▪ an era of rural unrest and peasant revolution
revolutionary [adjective]
▪ In Africa, Asia, and Latin America, there were revolutionary movements eager for change.
▪ We fervently embraced the new revolutionary ideals.
▷ revolt /rɪˈvəʊlt/ [countable/uncountable noun]
an attempt, especially one that only continues for a short time, to change the government by using violence :
▪ In 1880, a peasant revolt swept the country in protest at the tax on salt.
▪ Louverture headed the revolt of the slaves in the French colony of San Domingo.
revolt against
▪ At a word from Gandhi, India would have risen in revolt.
▪ Mayhew’s remarks represented the first American call for revolt against England.
crush/suppress/put down a revolt
▪ Army forces crushed the revolt, forcing many to flee the country.
▪ The Confederate government provided troops to suppress slave revolts.
▪ Herrera knew that if his government failed to put down the revolt, it would spread to outlying areas.
▷ insurrection /ˌɪnsəˈrekʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun] formal
an organized attempt to change the government, through violence, especially an attempt that involves a large number of people :
▪ It was widely believed that the outlaws had been plotting an insurrection.
▪ the ruthless suppression of slave insurrections
▪ an outbreak of insurrection
armed insurrection
an insurrection in which weapons are used
▪ The reign of civil disorder and terrorism culminated in armed insurrection.
▷ uprising /ˈʌpˌraɪzɪŋ/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a sudden unplanned, and often unsuccessful attempt to change the government or other authority, using violence :
▪ Peasant uprisings were the first signs of discontent among the people.
▪ The new law prompted a pro-democracy uprising in the south.
▪ The short-lived uprising fizzled out in the face of strong opposition from government forces.
uprising against
▪ a failed uprising against French colonial rule
quell/put down an uprising
stop it
▪ The President took immediate steps to quell the uprising.
▪ The new leader put down the uprising by dispatching government troops to the area.
▷ mutiny /ˈmjuːtɪni, -t ə ni/ [countable/uncountable noun]
an organized attempt by a group of people in the army or navy to take power from their officers by refusing to obey their orders and using violence :
▪ The film tells the story of a mutiny aboard a slave ship.
▪ Thirteen soldiers were sentenced to life imprisonment for mutiny.
2. an attempt by the army to take control of the government
▷ coup/coup d'état /kuː, ˌkuː deɪˈtɑːǁ-deˈtɑː/ [countable noun]
an attempt by the army to take control of the government :
▪ Tomorrow is the anniversary of the coup that brought a military dictatorship to power here nine years ago.
coup/coup d'état against
▪ He led a successful coup against the government of Iraq.
military coup
▪ In April 1974, a military coup took place in Lisbon.
coup attempt/attempted coup
▪ The coup attempt was followed by police brutality, executions, and torture.
▪ They smashed an attempted coup by the communists, leaving hundreds dead.
abortive/failed coup
one that does not succeed
▪ Peru offered refuge to officers who had taken part in the abortive coup.
▪ The government imposed a state of emergency after the failed coup d'état.
stage a coup
attempt a coup
▪ The chief of the armed forces intended to take power by staging a coup d'état.
▷ military takeover /ˌmɪlɪt ə ri ˈteɪkəʊvəʳǁ-teri-/ [countable noun]
a successful attempt by the army to take control of their own country by removing the legal government :
▪ The election was the first since the military takeover in 1980.
▪ The economic crisis and the threat from separatist guerrillas led to a military takeover.
3. to take part in a rebellion
▷ rebel /rɪˈbel/ [intransitive verb]
▪ The eastern provinces are likely to rebel if they are not given more freedom.
rebel against
▪ The slaves were punished for rebelling against their owners.
▪ When the federal government refused this request, the Southern States rebelled.
▷ revolt /rɪˈvəʊlt/ [intransitive verb]
to take part in an attempt, especially one that continues only for a short time, to change the government using violence :
▪ When Napoleon won control of the region and attached it to Bavaria, the Tiroleans revolted.
revolt against
▪ Some of the Arab tribes were persuaded to revolt against Turkish rule.
▪ News reached the capital that two garrisons in the south had revolted against the government.
▷ rise up /ˌraɪz ˈʌp əgenst/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if people rise up, large numbers of them begin violently to oppose their government or other authority, especially without planning to do this :
▪ First, the autoworkers rose up, followed by the steelworkers.
▪ He forecast that the people of Egypt would rise up and overthrow the government.
rise up against
▪ The people of Damascus rose up against their governors.
▪ a proclamation urging the people to rise up against their masters
rise up in revolt/in arms/in rebellion
▪ The Maya farmers rose up in arms to demand greater democracy and freedom.
▪ The troops would rise up in open rebellion if we tried to make them march any further.
▷ mutiny /ˈmjuːtɪni, -t ə ni/ [intransitive verb]
if a group in the army or navy mutiny, they try to take power from their officers by refusing to obey their orders and using violence :
▪ At Odessa, the sailors of the Imperial navy mutinied.
mutiny against
▪ Army factions mutinied against orders from Beijing.
4. someone who takes part in a rebellion
▷ rebel /ˈreb ə l/ [countable noun]
▪ The rebels attacked an airfield, exchanging fire with Russian troops.
▪ A large number of rebels escaped to the east as the army closed in on Jaffra.
rebel [adjective only before noun]
▪ Rebel forces have attacked the town of Kandahar.
▪ The rebel leader has repeated his demands for the release of political prisoners.
▷ revolutionary /ˌrevəˈluːʃən ə riǁ-ʃəneri/ [countable noun]
someone who takes part in or supports an attempt to change the government by using violence :
▪ Having taken control of the capital city, the revolutionaries proceeded to form a new government.
▪ Garcia Gutierrez wrote two plays with revolutionaries as their heroes.
revolutionary [adjective only before noun]
▪ When revolutionary forces marched into Havana, Castro and Che Guevara took control of the army.
▪ My father taught me several revolutionary songs.
▷ guerrilla /gəˈrɪlə/ [countable noun]
someone who fights in an unofficial military group, trying to remove their country’s existing government, especially by making surprise military attacks :
▪ The guerrillas began their assault on March 8th.
▪ Red Cross officials condemned the treatment that imprisoned guerrillas have received.
▪ Four Western tourists held by armed guerrillas in Kashmir began their seventh month in captivity today.
guerrilla [adjective only before noun]
▪ Poor peasants were the first recruits to the guerrilla forces.
▪ In Greece, guerrilla warfare war between guerrillas and an army raged on.
▷ freedom fighter /ˈfriːdəm ˌfaɪtəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who is fighting to try to remove their country’s existing government - use this if you think that this is the right thing to do :
▪ Ralph Fiennes plays an idealistic freedom fighter.
▪ Young enthusiasts drove across the border to join the freedom fighters who had appealed to the world for help.
5. someone who encourages rebellion
▷ agitator /ˈædʒɪteɪtəʳ, ˈædʒəteɪtəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who encourages people to oppose the government by trying to make them angry enough to use violence :
▪ The riots were the work of political agitators.
▪ The genuine protestors were joined by outside agitators, intent on encouraging violence.
▷ activist /ˈæktɪvəst, ˈæktəvəst/ [countable noun]
someone who spends a lot of time trying to encourage people to oppose the government or to accept new and different political beliefs :
▪ The Global Communications Group links ecological and other political activists via the Net.
▪ Clinton’s AIDS ‘czar’ resigned after being criticized by gay activists for being weak.
▷ subversive /səbˈvɜːʳsɪv/ [countable noun]
someone who is secretly trying to make their own government weak by encouraging people to oppose the government or to take part in a rebellion :
▪ Pablo Picasso was for a long time regarded as a dangerous subversive.
alleged/potential/suspected subversive
someone that the authorities think is a subversive, but who may not be
▪ the kidnap and torture of a suspected subversive
▪ CIA agents infiltrated the group, looking for alleged subversives.
subversive [adjective]
▪ The loyalty oath was intended to protect students from so-called subversive teachers.
6. actions, speeches etc that encourage rebellion
▷ sedition /sɪˈdɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
actions, speeches etc that are intended to encourage people to oppose the government or to take part in a rebellion :
▪ Hu was arrested on charges of sedition.
▪ The clubs were suspected of being centres of sedition.
seditious [adjective]
▪ He was sentenced to three years in prison for possession of seditious literature literature that encourages sedition .
▷ subversion /səbˈvɜːʳʃ ə nǁ-ʒ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
secret activities that are intended to encourage people to oppose the government or to take part in a rebellion :
▪ Seventeen people were convicted of subversion following a coup attempt.
▪ Many defectors provided the McCarthy committees with evidence of political subversion.
subversive /səbˈvɜːʳsɪv/ [adjective]
▪ The magazine was banned by the government for being subversive encouraging subversion .
▪ subversive propaganda