subversive

American  

[suhb-vur-siv] / səbˈvɜr sɪv /

adjective

1. Also subversionary tending or intending to subvert or overthrow, destroy, or undermine an established or existing system, especially a legally constituted government or a set of beliefs.

   Synonyms:

   destructive, seditious, treacherous, traitorous

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noun

1. a person who adopts subversive principles or policies.

subversive British  

/ səbˈvɜːsɪv /

adjective

1. liable to subvert or overthrow a government, legally constituted institution, etc

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noun

1. a person engaged in subversive activities, etc

Other Word Forms

• countersubversive noun
• nonsubversive adjective
• nonsubversively adverb
• nonsubversiveness noun
• self-subversive adjective
• subversively adverb
• subversiveness noun
• subversivism noun
• unsubversive adjective
• unsubversively adverb
• unsubversiveness noun

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.

Example Sentences

Those who refuted their work as simple stoner comedy were missing out on some of the more subversive critiques of America during the short but pivotal post-Vietnam, pre-Reagan era.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

In 2015, he transformed the dilapidated Tropicana lido in Weston-super-Mare, which he had visited as a child, into the subversive tourist attraction Dismaland.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Just for a moment, I wanted to join the badass gang that made subversive movies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

As Emerald Fennell’s film adaptation sparks a sell-out frenzy for “Wuthering Heights,” six authors discuss the enduring, “toxic” and subversive legacy of Emily Brontë’s gothic masterpiece.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2026

Experience had taught them that in the end the fox always eats the hens, despite the subversive ballads that were traveling from mouth to mouth preaching just the opposite.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Related Words

• incendiary
• riotous