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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Selection Vocabulary 5, Unit 4
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
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
Still, it’s possible — with effort — to register the film’s themes about duty, inheritance, courage and righteous disobedience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 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
Throughout the legal battle, lawyers for the group's co-founder Huda Ammori have said it is a legitimate protest group involved in civil disobedience.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026
They set off together, with the servant girl carrying the child and the man driving them on, muttering to himself about the great insult that had been done him by this act of disobedience.
From "The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa" by Alexander Mccall Smith
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
