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rebel

rebel

658 3.6
A person who acts against the government or people in power
  • noun
  • /ˈrɛbəl/
translation icon : rebelde
  • Many rebels chose to fight for their rights and freedoms, risking everything in the process.
  • rebel leader
  • rebel forces
  • rebel troops

And now these Hootie rebels are in Yemen.

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Examples

  • A group of rebels have found their way in.

  • Some experts maintain that the rebels still cling to their old dream of toppling the government.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Steve Jobs was this rebel, this entrepreneur with a purpose.

  • All right, you rebels, boys getting up to no good.

  • In their eyes, we are not soldiers but rebels.

  • Meanwhile, the third round of talks between the rebels and the government has been postponed.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Many on both sides died, but the rebels were not dislodged.

  • Union troops were encountering an array of rebel forces, some uniformed, some not.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Now Basil and these new allies descended upon the rebel forces with vengeful fury.

  • Now! Yelling like fiends, the rebels burst from cover and dashed toward the barricade.

    Fiction book (1992)

Synonyms

insurgent
vsrebel
  • Literature
93 8.6

A person who fights against the government, often as part of a small armed group

is broader, including peaceful or nonviolent forms of opposition
dissident
vsrebel
70 7.5

A person who speaks against the government or its leaders and may be punished

is more general, not limited to official or political settings
renegade
vsrebel
46 7.9

A person who leaves and betrays their group

is wider, covering any opposition or resistance without betrayal
dissenter
vsrebel
22 7.2

A person who disagrees with common ideas or with those in charge

focuses more on opposing authority, control, or tradition
resister
vsrebel
6 6.2

A person who opposes authority or control

covers resisting but also passive or cultural opposition
nonconformist
vsrebel
3 7.3

A person who does not follow the usual customs or rules of society

emphasizes opposition to authority and tradition rather than just customs
opposer
vsrebel
2 4.5

A person who speaks out against a plan or idea

includes anyone who opposes authority, control, or tradition
maverick
vsrebel
2 7.9

Having ideas and actions that do not follow usual rules

is about opposing authority more generally, not only individuality
revolutionist
vsrebel
1 7.0

A person who takes strong action to change a government or society

is a general term for opposing authority, not only revolutionary action
insurrectionist
vsrebel
1 9.8

A person who takes part in an armed attack to try to remove a government

is the general label for opposing authority, not always violent
oppositionist
vsrebel
1 7.4

A person who acts against a government or its rules, like a protester

is broader, covering opposition to authority in many contexts
seditionist
vsrebel
  • Formal
1 9.4

A person who encourages others to rebel against the government or other authority

is more general, not necessarily promoting formal rebellion
defier
vsrebel
7.1

A person who openly refuses to obey rules or authority

applies more broadly to opposing authority or tradition
bucker
vsrebel
  • US
9.1

A person who openly refuses to follow rules or authority

is the general category for anyone opposing control or tradition
revolter
vsrebel
7.9

A person who takes part in a revolt against authority

is broader, covering non-revolutionary opposition as well

Antonyms

2 5.7

A person who follows rules and usual ways instead of trying new ideas

Compounds

A Chilean armed group formed in the 1980s that used violence to fight the military government

How Rebellious

revolutionary
143 4.9
insurgent
  • Literature
93 8.6
rebel
658 3.6
protester
328 2.9
dissenter
22 7.2

Surface Forms

rebel singular
rebels plural

Etymology

The word rebel comes from the Latin parts re- 'again' and bellum 'war', so a rebel was originally someone who 'went back to war'. That's why a rebel today is a person who fights against rulers or the usual rules.