insubordination

noun

1. the quality or condition of being insubordinate, or of being disobedient to authority; defiance:

   The employee was fired for insubordination.

Word History and Origins

Origin of insubordination¹

First recorded in 1785–95; in- ³( def ) + subordinat(e) ( def ) + -ion ( def )

Example Sentences

For those who escaped the madness earlier, either through layoffs or being fired for insubordination, it’s a troubling development.

From MIT Technology Review

One former employee, who claimed to be fired for insubordination after criticizing a strategy by one of Silbermann’s staff, told CNBC there was an extremely passive-aggressive climate.

From Time

Inspections, harsh penalties for misconduct, and consequences for insubordination were the norm.

From The Daily Beast

“Anyone who upholds insubordination will not serve in my Cabinet,” Netanyahu responded in an interview.

From The Daily Beast

That kind of insubordination, he said, “would have extreme negative impacts on U.S. and NATO troops in the field.”

From The Daily Beast

Now one might explain away the insubordination as standard trash talk among stressed-out warriors.

From The Daily Beast

From day one, the press will be searching for signs of acrimony or insubordination.

From The Daily Beast

Exemplary punishment is to be visited upon me for "precocious godlessness, dangerous tendencies, and insubordination."

From Project Gutenberg

Evil and insubordination were more easily kept under than Norman had expected, when he first made up his mind to the struggle.

From Project Gutenberg

Mrs Pike cast a withering glance at Digby; such a piece of insubordination had not been met with for a long time to her authority.

From Project Gutenberg

It is the only instance I know of where insubordination saved any army from a surprise attack, and possibly from defeat.

From Project Gutenberg

They reckoned him their ablest general, though his insubordination and self-seeking rendered the loss of him an actual gain.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• dereliction
• infringement