noun / verb
rebel
REB-ul/ˈrebl/
A person who resists established authority.
The rebel refuses to obey orders from the military government.
Etymology
The pieces evoke waging war against authority—or perhaps waging war again. The noun applies that opposition more broadly to someone who refuses obedience, whether or not actual fighting is involved.
In context
forced and re-recruitment of child soldiers into Rebel armies even after the peace uh treaty was finished
More examples
- Teenagers sometimes rebel against rules they consider unfair.
- She is a rebel who refuses to follow social conventions.
- The museum displays a uniform worn by a Confederate rebel.
Forms
rebel · rebels · rebelled · rebelling
rebellion noun — Resistance to an established government or authority.
rebellious adjective — Unwilling to obey authority or follow rules.
Similar words
- insurgent
- Usually participates in an organized, often armed revolt against government.
- dissenter
- Expresses disagreement but may not actively resist established authority.
- nonconformist
- Rejects social conventions rather than necessarily opposing political authority.