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civil disobedience
[siv-uhl dis-uh-bee-dee-uhns]
noun
the refusal to obey certain laws or governmental demands for the purpose of influencing legislation or government policy, characterized by the employment of such nonviolent techniques as boycotting, picketing, and nonpayment of taxes.
(initial capital letters, italics), an essay (1848) by Thoreau.
civil disobedience
noun
a refusal to obey laws, pay taxes, etc: a nonviolent means of protesting or of attempting to achieve political goals
“Civil Disobedience”
1(1849) An essay by Henry David Thoreau. It contains his famous statement “That government is best which governs least,” and asserts that people's obligations to their own conscience take precedence over their obligations to their government. Thoreau also argues that if, in following their conscience, people find it necessary to break the laws of the state, they should be prepared to pay penalties, including imprisonment.
civil disobedience
2The refusal to obey a law out of a belief that the law is morally wrong.
Word History and Origins
Origin of “Civil Disobedience”1
Example Sentences
After Fonda and Turner divorced, she worked with Tomlin on raising the minimum wage in Michigan and then launched Fire Drill Fridays — acts of civil disobedience — with Greenpeace in 2019.
“If that does happen, there is never a more justified moment for civil disobedience, there never will be.”
In the lead-up to Wednesday's protests, Let's Block Everything urged people to take part in acts of civil disobedience against "austerity, contempt and humiliation".
Authorities are bracing for nationwide disruption on Wednesday, with the Bloquons Tout movement urging citizens to bring the country to a standstill through protest and acts of civil disobedience against "austerity, contempt and humiliation".
"I don't think anybody in London even understands just how close we are to civil disobedience on a vast scale in this country," Farage said in a speech on Monday.
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Related Words
- protest march www.thesaurus.com
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