insurrectionary 1 of 2

adjective

as in insurgent
taking part in a rebellion a small insurrectionary force that was soundly defeated by the loyalists

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insurrectionary

2 of 2

noun

as in rebel
a person who rises up against authority only a small band of insurrectionaries who were willing to stand up to the dictator

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of insurrectionary
Adjective
The people who joined were not there at the behest of a political organization but were drawn, like pilgrims to hip pilgrimage sites, by the promise of an insurrectionary pleasure. — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026 The Iranian regime was, if not on the ropes, then in very serious trouble as recently as January, when, amid a terrible economic situation with an eviscerated middle class, a large proportion of the population—disgruntled, unhappy, insurrectionary, revolutionary—came out to protest on the streets. — Daniel Drake, The New York Review of Books, 16 May 2026 Mazzini therefore proposed to rely solely upon a national insurrectionary movement, aiming at unity in a free republic. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026 The government alleges the Sotos were part of a group of people who created and distributed insurrectionary materials called zines. — Emerson Clarridge updated March 6, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2026 This insurrectionary narrative about the media is not restricted to the right. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026 In a year of cancellations and euphemisms, the city mounted a counterprogram that was quietly insurrectionary, stubbornly joyous. — The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insurrectionary
  1. insurgent
  2. rebel
  3. revolutionary
Adjective
  • Four years ago, during his insurgent first campaign, this editorial board had been wary of some of Mejia’s radical rhetoric.
    — The Editorial Board, Daily News, 10 June 2026
  • Myanmar is worried about resistance to military rule, India is concerned with insurgent groups in its northeast.
    — Michael Sullivan, NPR, 30 May 2026
Definition of insurgent
Noun
  • The latest conflict between the Saudis and the Houthis began last month after the rebels seized key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical waterway for oil shipments.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The latest conflict between the Saudis and the Houthis began last month after the rebels seized key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical waterway for Gulf oil shipments.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebel
Noun
  • The great innovator of fashion photography, the revolutionary, was also a strict traditionalist.
    — Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Chambers is a trust-fund revolutionary with unusually deep pockets.
    — Rich Cohen, Air Mail, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of revolutionary

Browse Nearby Words

insurrectionaries
insurrectionary
insurrectionist
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Cite this Entry

“Insurrectionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insurrectionary. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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