rebel
Americannoun
-
a person who refuses allegiance to, resists, or rises in arms against the government or ruler of their country.
- Synonyms:
- insurgent, traitor, mutineer, insurrectionist
-
a person who resists any authority, control, or tradition.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
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
-
-
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
Usage
What does rebel mean? A rebel is a person who resists or defies rules or norms or rises up against the powers that be. In its more serious sense, a rebel is a revolutionary trying to overthrow a government. More generally, it means someone who breaks the rules, resists authority, or otherwise challenges the status quo by doing things in a nontraditional way, such as in fashion and other arts. As a noun, rebel is pronounced "REB-uhl."Rebel is also a verb meaning to resist or rise up against authority or tradition. As a verb, rebel is pronounced "ri-BELL."Example: Danielle refused to wear her uniform to school, fighting with the principle and urging the other girls to rebel against the policy as she did.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
rebelsimple
-
rebelssimple
-
have rebelperfect
-
have rebelledperfect
-
has rebelperfect
-
has rebelledperfect
-
am rebellingprogressive
-
are rebellingprogressive
-
is rebellingprogressive
-
have been rebellingperfect progressive
-
has been rebellingperfect progressive
Past
-
rebelsimple
-
rebelledsimple
-
had rebelperfect
-
had rebelledperfect
-
was rebellingprogressive
-
were rebellingprogressive
-
had been rebellingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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
Explanation
When you rebel against your parents by dyeing your hair green and staying out without calling, you are acting in a way that questions both their authority and their rules about what is right and acceptable. A rebel is someone who fights authority. The story of a rebel often finds its way into books and movies. In the 1950s film "Rebel without a Cause," a teenager rebels against his parents. In the "Star Wars" movies, the Jedi rebel against the Empire. A rebel, whether the cause they are fighting for is just or not, is always the underdog. One pronunciation hint, rebel as a noun has the stress on the first syllable and as a verb on the second.
Vocabulary lists containing rebel
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act I
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Fighting Words: Belli and Milit
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The American Revolution - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The Malian army confirmed the rebel assaults on the four towns and Kenieroba on Facebook Saturday morning, asserting that "these attacks were vigorously repelled" and that "the situation is completely under control."
From Barron's • Jul. 4, 2026
A24 has positioned itself as the film industry’s rebel, funding new and emerging talents producing thought-provoking ideas.
From Salon • Jun. 23, 2026
Caroline - A New Musical is set on Radio Caroline, a rebel radio station that defied UK broadcasting laws by playing pop music from international waters off the coast of Clacton-on-Sea.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
The rebel leaders are, uh, the people in charge of the S&P 500.
From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026
I’m going to be a desi movie-making rebel.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
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.
