insurgency
Americannoun
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insurgencies
plural
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the state or condition of being insurgent.
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insurrection against an existing government, usually one's own, by a group not recognized as having the status of a belligerent.
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rebellion within a group, as by members against leaders.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of insurgency
First recorded in 1795–1805; insurg(ent) + -ency
Explanation
An insurgency is a movement within a country dedicated to overthrowing the government. An insurgency is a rebellion. Insurgencies are movements to overthrow governments. The United States was founded by an insurgency, when the colonies fought England for independence. In the Star Wars movies, the rebel forces stage an insurgency. Around the world, many insurgencies exist, using violent and other means. Insurgency is also used for less serious situations: for example, a rebellious group within a company, political party, or school could be called an insurgency. All insurgencies are made up of rebels.
Vocabulary lists containing insurgency
The Middle East and Central Asia - Middle School
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The Middle East and Central Asia - High School
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"On the Vietnam War, 1967," Vocabulary from the speech
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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.
See Examples For:
A mission in southern Iraq had tamped down tribal warfare and insurgency without bloodshed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Since then, Iraqi forces have fought Islamic State remnants engaged in a low-level insurgency around the country’s remote areas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
Werb argued that the mutiny was the consequence of a worsening security landscape in Niger, with the junta having failed to quell a deadly, long-running jihadist insurgency.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
For Niger's government, Saturday's mutiny highlights that the military is dealing not only with an external insurgency, but also signs of discontent within its own ranks.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
During the Vietnam War, John and Marti Peterson spent three perilous years together in neighboring Laos, where John trained and advised a guerrilla army to fight the communist insurgency there.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Ethiopia also continues to grapple with armed insurgencies in Oromia and Amhara, the country's two most-populous regional states.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Most fighters in the Africa Corps formerly belonged to the Russian mercenary Wagner group, which was active in the continent, hired by local governments to help curb insurgencies.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
Somalia faces dual insurgencies from groups linked to Islamic State and al Qaeda.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 7, 2026
Somaliland also stands out for its relative stability compared to the rest of the country, which has been plagued by Islamist insurgencies and clan conflicts for decades.
From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026
The government continues to struggle with Muslim insurgencies in the south.
From The 2003 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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.
