insurrectionary 1 of 2

adjective

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  • In her 1974 novel The Hearing Trumpet, a nonagenarian vegetarian heroine named Marian rebels against patriarchal institutions.
    — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Al-Sharaa ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 in an offensive led by HTS rebels.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebel
Noun
  • Centrist Democrats are not socialists, not revolutionaries, and not disposed to blame Zionist conspiracies for every trouble in American life, including police brutality and urban gentrification.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 19 Aug. 2026
  • To make matters worse, ten days later, revolutionaries stormed the Bastille.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of revolutionary

Browse Nearby Words

insurrectionaries
insurrectionary
insurrectionist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Insurrectionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insurrectionary. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All