insubordination
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of insubordination
First recorded in 1785–95; in- 3 ( def. ) + subordinat(e) ( def. ) + -ion ( def. )
Explanation
People in charge — like bosses and teachers — hate insubordination, which means that someone is defying their authority. When a student is disrespectful to a teacher or says something like "I won't do this homework!", that's an act of insubordination. If a teacher didn't do what the principal wanted, that would also be insubordination. This word is often used in relation to the military, where giving and taking orders is extremely important. A soldier who commits insubordination — by disobeying an order — can be in a lot of trouble. Anywhere there's insubordination, someone with less power (a subordinate) is giving someone with more power a whole lot of trouble.
Vocabulary lists containing insubordination
100 SAT Words Beginning with "I"
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Ender's Game
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The Princess Bride
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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.
He was an Army lieutenant, prosecuted by a military court for insubordination and then acquitted.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2026
“For now, because of this insubordination and consequences it has brought upon the system, President Lee has been placed on administrative leave,” García said.
From Seattle Times • May 16, 2024
“Dancers have engaged in insubordination and egregious violations of the club’s rules, all aimed toward the end of shutting the business down,” the filing read.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2024
Eventually he was given a formal charge of insubordination.
From BBC • Dec. 12, 2023
Breathing heavily, he said, “I don’t know what’s come over me to make me tolerate such blatant insubordination for so long. You must have bewitched me, or else I must be going mad.”
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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.
