subversive
Americanadjective
noun
-
subversives
plural
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
countersubversivenoun
-
nonsubversivenessnoun
-
subversivenessnoun
-
subversivismnoun
-
unsubversivenessnoun
-
nonsubversiveadjective
-
self-subversiveadjective
-
unsubversiveadjective
-
nonsubversivelyadverb
-
subversivelyadverb
-
unsubversivelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of subversive
1635–45; < Latin subvers ( us ) (past participle of subvertere to subvert ) + -ive
Explanation
You might want to call someone subversive if they are sneakily trying to undermine something, from the social structure of your high school to an entire system of government. You can use subversive as a noun or an adjective without changing it one whit. Note the prefix sub, meaning "underneath," with the remainder coming from the Latin vertere, "to turn." Think about a subversive as a sneaky kind of revolutionary who tries to turn the system from underneath. Art or literature is considered subversive if it attempts to undermine the dominant values and traditions of a society.
Vocabulary lists containing subversive
Unit 1: Telling Details
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!
Animal Farm
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!
Persepolis
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.
See Examples For:
A subversive, funny new show: HBO’s new Sunday night series Lanterns is the spiritual successor to Watchmen: a superhero show for people who don’t think they like superhero shows.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
Nimbly, it manages to be both a pacifist film and a subversive one with no faith in the system as it stands.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Charli's new songs find her grappling with whether she can stay true to her pugnacious, subversive roots while enjoying commercial success and personal happiness.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
His pictures, deemed subversive, were stripped from German museums, and he and his family fled to Switzerland.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
“They’re subversive, you know? They can look light and fun on the outside, but they have punch.”
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
These Super Glue subversives have been derided as publicity-seeking Philistines and hailed as martyrs for a vital cause.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 27, 2022
Others said they were former or current members, but even so, it did not make them antigovernment subversives.
From New York Times ● Dec. 12, 2020
A mission to find subversives within San Francisco’s Chinese community has far-reaching consequences for an FBI agent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2020
Americans worked themselves into a tizzy over the putative threat posed by small numbers of homegrown subversives.
From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2018
"McCarthyism" became a catchphrase for the hunt for communist subversives, a frenzy that would engulf the United States for the rest of the 1950s.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
