disobedience

American  

[dis-uh-bee-dee-uhns] / ˌdɪs əˈbi di əns /

noun

1. lack of obedience or refusal to comply; disregard or transgression.

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disobedience British  

/ ˌdɪsəˈbiːdɪəns /

noun

1. lack of obedience

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Etymology

Origin of disobedience

1350–1400; Middle English < Old French desobedience, equivalent to des- dis- ¹ + obedience obedience

Explanation

Disobedience means not following rules or instructions given to you by an authority figure. The disobedience of the kids at summer camp might drive their counselor batty. Ordinary disobedience includes things like your dog chasing your cat even after you tell her not to, or a party guest refusing to hand over a gift to the birthday boy despite being instructed to do it. Civil disobedience is a special type of defiance: it's refusing to follow the laws or demands of a governing power that you disagree with. During the Civil Rights Movement, protesters used civil disobedience (including sit-ins and boycotts) to protest segregation.

Example Sentences

But Thoreau’s show of civil disobedience has resounded down the ages, creating a political legacy claimed by liberals and conservatives, libertarians and Marxists External link.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

They are trained in the tenets of the First Amendment, the right to protest and civil disobedience.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

That summer, 1960, Jackson came home and led a sit-in at the library, his arrest a first taste of civil disobedience.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

Other groups are providing nonviolent civil disobedience training, for example, which organizers describe as calling attention to the injustice of the current policy.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026

There was no thought of rebellion or disobedience in her mind.

From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell