noun
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a revolt or rebellion
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archaic an ascent
Etymology
Origin of uprising
Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; see origin at up-, rising
Explanation
An organized rebellion, especially against an authority or government — is an uprising. If your entire math class joined together in rebellion against your teacher's unfair grading practices, you could call it an uprising. The word uprising is most often used to describe a political revolt, often a violent insurrection against the established rule, but its original meaning was very different. In the thirteenth century, an uprising was a resurrection, or "the action of rising from the grave," and soon after that it meant "an action of rising from the bed." It wasn't until the late 1500's that it came to mean "revolt."
Vocabulary lists containing uprising
Born a Crime
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Stamped
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Catching Fire
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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.
Libya has remained fractured since chaos broke loose following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that toppled longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi.
From Barron's • May 17, 2026
The uprising harked back to the 1980s and 1990s, when iconic environmentalist Judi Bari led Earth First! campaigns against logging in the region.
From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026
Before the uprising that saw longtime leader Omar al-Bashir ousted in 2019, he was repeatedly arrested for songs critical of the political system.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
The youth-led uprising in September began in Kathmandu and was triggered by a brief social media ban.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
“President Snow wasn’t convinced by me. There’s an uprising in District Eight. We have to get out,” I say.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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.
