insurgency

American  

[in-sur-juhn-see] / ɪnˈsɜr dʒən si /

noun

• insurgencies
  plural

1. the state or condition of being insurgent.

2. insurrection against an existing government, usually one's own, by a group not recognized as having the status of a belligerent.

3. rebellion within a group, as by members against leaders.

4. insurgence.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• insurgencies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of insurgency

First recorded in 1795–1805; insurg(ent) + -ency

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

insurgency insurgencies

Instead of the Ivory Coast-Sahel row, the official blamed the political situation in the Sahel countries -- which are all wracked by a long-running and bloody jihadist insurgency -- for "reducing the mobility of artists".

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

A growing Islamist insurgency has resulted in almost 10,000 fatalities across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger over the past year, according to data analyzed by the Pentagon-funded Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

Not since the al-Qaeda insurgency of the mid-2000s has the Kingdom faced such a serious threat.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 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

The catalyst for the change was the Whiskey Rebellion, a popular insurgency in four counties of western Pennsylvania protesting an excise tax on whiskey.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

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

Since 2012, Mali has been plagued by insurgencies and large parts of the north and east of the country remain outside government control.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

He warned of a "spillover" of fighting from separate insurgencies in the neighbouring Sahel.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

Cepeda was central to Petro’s signature plan, Total Peace, designed to de-escalate conflict with the country’s hybrid groups that are part insurgencies, part drug gangs, each numbering thousands of fighters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026

Not quite perfect, for continually there arise little insurgencies, inadequacies and frictions to which in time it will succumb.

From The Glands Regulating Personality by Louis Berman M.D.

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Related Words

• dissent
• insurrection
• mutiny
• revolt
• revolution
• uprising

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