insubordinate

[in-suh-bawr-dn-it]

adjective

1. not submitting to authority; disobedient.

   an insubordinate soldier.

   Synonyms: insolent, defiant, refractory

2. not lower.

noun

1. a person who is insubordinate.

insubordinate

/ ˌɪnsəˈbɔːdɪnɪt /

adjective

1. not submissive to authority; disobedient or rebellious

2. not in a subordinate position or rank

noun

1. an insubordinate person

Other Word Forms

• insubordinately adverb
• insubordination noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of insubordinate¹

First recorded in 1840–50; in- ³ + subordinate

Example Sentences

“It’s the way you ask these questions,” he said to White House reporter Mary Bruce, adding that she was “insubordinate.”

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An unhappy employee is more likely to engage in contrarian or insubordinate behavior and will generally create a nuisance.

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Because of the SSA’s stultifying culture, Dudek said, he leaned into his insubordinate streak.

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Women who demand life-saving health care, especially after they "failed" at pregnancy, are seen as insubordinate.

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“I was getting to a point where I was going to have to tell my management — you know, be insubordinate — because I couldn’t rush through that fast.”

Read more on Seattle Times