mutiny
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have mutiniedperfect
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has mutiniedperfect 3rd person singular
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am mutinyingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been mutinyingperfect progressive
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are mutinyingprogressive
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is mutinyingprogressive 3rd person singular
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mutiniessingular 3rd person
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mutinyingparticiple
-
has been mutinyingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had mutiniedperfect
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had been mutinyingperfect progressive
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was mutinyingprogressive singular
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were mutinyingprogressive plural
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mutiniedparticiple
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mutiniedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of mutiny
1560–70; obsolete mutine to mutiny (< Middle French mutiner, derivative of mutin mutiny; see mutineer) + -y 3
Explanation
A mutiny is a rebellion against authority, like when sailors overthrow the captain of a ship or when a class of 8th graders refuses to dissect a frog in biology class. Mutiny comes from an old verb, mutine, which means "revolt," and a mutiny is still like a revolt. It can be a group of people, like in the famous Mutiny on the Bounty in 1789 when the crew of a British Royal Navy ship kicked the captain out so they could stay in Tahiti. (Totally worth it.) Mutiny also means "to refuse the order of the person in authority," so it doesn't always take place at sea or in the military, it can happen in a classroom and be every teacher's nightmare!
Vocabulary lists containing mutiny
The Cay
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Christopher Columbus' Diary: The First Voyage
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Refugee
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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.
Alekseyev, who had longtime links with Wagner, was detained after the mutiny and later released.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
In March 1783 Gen. George Washington put down a conspiracy among some of his officers who wanted to mutiny against Congress.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026
Nigeria led the regional mission with the deployment of jets and troops to suppress the mutiny in Benin.
From BBC • Dec. 9, 2025
A previous investigation into the mutiny blamed years of pent-up anger among soldiers, who felt their appeals for pay rises and better treatment were ignored.
From Barron's • Nov. 30, 2025
Aware of the rivalry between the two schools, employers searched for some middle ground of impartiality, fearful that any inadvertent slip might cause a mutiny from one half of the work force or the other.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
