WordValeinsurgency
an armed rebellion against authority
In more detail
1. (noun) a violent attempt by a group of people to take control of a country or region by fighting against the government or occupying forces
2. (noun) the people involved in such a violent rebellion
Examples
- 1. The government struggled to control the insurgency in the northern provinces.
- 2. The military launched operations against the insurgency.
How to use insurgency
Insurgency refers to organized armed rebellion against established authority, typically used in military, political, and journalistic contexts to describe resistance movements or civil unrest involving violence. It is more formal and geopolitically charged than 'rebellion' and often implies a prolonged conflict rather than a spontaneous uprising. The term is neutral in denotation but may carry different connotations depending on political perspective.
Common phrases
- armed insurgency
- suppress an insurgency
- counter-insurgency
- insurgency group
- anti-insurgency operations
- fuel an insurgency
Synonyms
rebellion · revolt · uprising · armed resistance · guerrilla movement
Word family
insurgent (noun/adjective) · insurgents (plural)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse insurgency with insurrection; while related, insurrection emphasizes sudden violent uprising, whereas insurgency emphasizes the organized, sustained nature of the resistance movement.
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