sedition

American  

[si-dish-uhn] / sɪˈdɪʃ ən /

noun

1. incitement of discontent or rebellion against a government.

   Synonyms:

   mutiny, insurrection

2. any action, especially in speech or writing, promoting such discontent or rebellion.

3. Archaic. rebellious disorder.

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sedition British  

/ sɪˈdɪʃən /

noun

1. speech or behaviour directed against the peace of a state

2. an offence that tends to undermine the authority of a state

3. an incitement to public disorder

4. archaic revolt

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sedition Cultural  

1. Acts that incite rebellion or civil disorder against an established government.

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Usage

What does sedition mean? Sedition is the act of encouraging rebellion against the government, or an action that promotes such rebellion, such as through speech or writing. What’s the difference between treason and sedition? Treason typically refers to a direct action to overthrow or betray one’s government, whereas sedition usually falls short of direct action and instead involves the promotion of revolutionary or treasonous actions. Legally, sedition is typically considered a less serious offense than treason. Example: His statements amount to nothing less than sedition—he’s actively trying to incite a rebellion against the government.

Synonym Usage

See treason.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• seditionary
  noun
• antisedition
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of sedition

First recorded in 1325–75; from Latin sēditiōn-, stem of sēditiō “rebellion, strife,” literally “a going apart,” from sēd- se- + itiō “a going” (from it(us) “gone,” past participle of īre “to go” + -iō -ion ); replacing Middle English sedicioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above

Compare meaning

How does sedition compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• sedition vs. treason

Explanation

Sedition is the illegal act of inciting people to resist or rebel against the government in power. It's what the southern states did at the start of the Civil War. Sedition is the rebellious talk and encouragement that might lead to a mutiny, and can be charged as a crime, like treason. The Alien and Sedition Acts passed into law in the late 1700s were challenged by none other than Thomas Jefferson as a violation of Americans' First Amendment rights to free speech. The Sedition Act quietly expired a few years later but was essentially replaced in the early 1900s by what is called the Espionage Act, which was later repealed as well. Proving sedition can become a murky business: when should the expression of one's activism be considered free speech and when should it be considered sedition?

Example Sentences

John Adams pushed Congress in 1798 to pass the Alien and Sedition Acts, measures that allowed the government to deport and otherwise persecute critics of the administration.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Jacob Ware is a terrorism researcher and the co-author of “God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

In 1800 you have James Madison unambiguously writing, in the context of the Alien and Sedition Acts, that “invasion is an operation of war.”

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2025

In October 2023, the Privy Council in London, which is Trinidad and Tobago's highest appeal court, dismissed an appeal challenging the constitutionality of sections of the former British colony's Sedition Act.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2024

His core argument was that the Sedition Act was unconstitutional because it violated the natural rights of the citizens of each state to control their own domestic affairs.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• insubordination
• insurrection
• mutiny
• treason