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rebel

[ noun, adjective reb-uhl; verb ri-bel ]
/ noun, adjective ˈrɛb əl; verb rɪˈbɛl /
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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.
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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 FROM rebel

reb·el·like, adjectivenon·reb·el, noun, adjectivepro·reb·el, adjectivesem·i·reb·el, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rebel in a sentence

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

Derived forms of rebel

rebeldom, noun

Word Origin for rebel

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