disobedience
Americannoun
noun
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.
Vocabulary lists containing disobedience
Clayton Byrd Goes Underground
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Selection Vocabulary 5, Unit 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bonino met a leading women's rights advocate, embraced civil disobedience and began accompanying women to a Florentine abortion clinic.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
His attempt at civil disobedience was turned on its head when the governor invited Berry and the Kentucky Rising activists to stay.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Kirchner, one of them, wanted to engage in acts of civil disobedience, such as blockades of OpenAI’s offices, to bring more attention to the cause, according to Elmore and others in the group.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
"It is not - as claimed - a direct action civil disobedience protest group like the suffragettes, operating transparently in the open," she added.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
When she sensed she was being tested, she responded swiftly, sending kids home or ordering them to run extra laps at the first sign of disobedience.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
