rebel

[ noun, adjective reb-uhl; verb ri-bel ]

See synonyms for: rebel rebels on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who refuses allegiance to, resists, or rises in arms against the government or ruler of their country.
a person who resists any authority, control, or tradition.

adjective

rebellious; defiant.
of or relating to rebels.

verb (used without object),re·bel, re·belled, re·bel·ling.

to reject, resist, or rise in arms against one's government or ruler.
to resist or rise against some authority, control, or tradition.

to show or feel utter repugnance: His very soul rebelled at spanking the child.

Origin of rebel

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English adjective rebel(e), from Old French rebelle, from Latin rebellis “renewing a war,” equivalent to re- re- + bell(um) “war” + -is adjective suffix; Middle English verb rebelle(n), from Old French rebeller and Latin rebellāre; noun derivative of the adjective

Other words for rebel

1	insurrectionist, mutineer, traitor
1, 3	insurgent
3	mutinous
5	revolt, mutiny

See synonyms for rebel on Thesaurus.com

Other words from rebel

reb·el·like, adjective
non·reb·el, noun, adjective
pro·reb·el, adjective
sem·i·reb·el, noun

Words Nearby rebel

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rebel in a sentence

Russia has also entrenched itself along Libya’s coast through its support for the rebel leader Khalifa Haftar, who controls the region.
Butterfly Effect: The Next U.S.-Russia Conflict Theater Could be the Mediterranean | Charu Kasturi | September 17, 2020 | Ozy
The GRU chief is also a central figure in Russia’s attempts to bring rebel Libyan leader Khalifa Haftar to power in Tripoli.
Spy Wars: The Hidden Foe America Must Defeat to Save Its Democracy | Charu Kasturi | September 13, 2020 | Ozy
Chef Nomi, as the rebel-bear called himself, attracted a following with promises of a “fair launch.”
Is the SushiSwap saga a preview of a new wave of crypto chaos? | dzanemorris | September 9, 2020 | Fortune
Among them was Muhammad Qasim Shah, the last known militant from Tral, a township that had given birth in 2015 to a fresh wave of armed rebels against India following years of steady decline in the number of militants.
Is Kashmir’s Militancy Dead? | Charu Kasturi | August 6, 2020 | Ozy
In fact, voters rebelled in November when patriotic hysteria went too far.
‘Keep Your Mouth Shut’: Why San Diego Banned ‘Seditious’ Talk in 1918 | Randy Dotinga | August 4, 2020 | Voice of San Diego

Malakhov says there are criminals who have joined the rebel ranks and are exerting influence with their new positions.
The Corrupt Cops of Rebel-Held East Ukraine | Kristina Jovanovski | December 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Excerpted from rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson by S.C. Gwynne.
Stonewall Jackson, VMI’s Most Embattled Professor | S. C. Gwynne | November 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Despite its recent gains on the battlefield, the fight against rebel brigades has taken a significant toll on the government army.
Local Truces Are Syria’s Sad Little Pieces of Peace | Joshua Hersh | November 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
But the calmness in rebel-held Donetsk on Sunday night suggested no big push is planned in the next few hours, at least.
Eastern Ukraine Braces for ‘Full-Scale War’ | Jamie Dettmer | November 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Other more moderate rebel groups have long claimed that was the case.
Digital Doublethink: Playing Truth or Dare with Putin, Assad and ISIS | Christopher Dickey, Anna Nemtsova | November 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The rebel Planner had fallen from his allegiance, and was making his terms with the enemy.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV. | Various
The rebel general opportunely arrived in Singapore at or about the time of the outbreak of American-Spanish hostilities.
The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
De Valor resumed it, when he raised the rebel standard on the Alpuxara mountains.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane Porter
Lastly, there was Aguinaldoʼs old rebel party, which rallied to the one cry “Independence.”
The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
It was one of these rebel detachments that passed the four fugitives from Cawnpore on the outskirts of Bunnee.
The Red Year | Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for rebel

rebel

verb(rɪˈbɛl) -bels, -belling or -belled (intr often foll by against)

to resist or rise up against a government or other authority, esp by force of arms
to dissent from an accepted moral code or convention of behaviour, dress, etc

to show repugnance (towards)

noun(ˈrɛbəl)

- a person who rebels
- (as modifier): a rebel soldier; a rebel leader
a person who dissents from some accepted moral code or convention of behaviour, dress, etc

Origin of rebel

C13: from Old French rebelle, from Latin rebellis insurgent, from re- + bellum war

Derived forms of rebel

rebeldom, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Browse