as in rebellion
refusal to obey laws as a way of forcing the government to do or change something
In an act of civil disobedience, the family sent its tax money to an antiwar organization. A student organization is encouraging civil disobedience as a way to get the university to change its policies.
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Recent Examples of civil disobedience
That act of civil disobedience led to her disbarment, said her brother, Steve Ward of St. Paul’s East Side.
—
Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 19 July 2025
Protests — even ones that include civil disobedience — should not be met with violence unless there is no other option available.
—Dan Tully, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
Sanabria Tarazona had taken part in a nationwide civil disobedience aimed at ousting Maduro called La Salida or The Exit.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 17 June 2025
Sebastián Lelio’s has touched down in Cannes this year with musical film The Wave (La Ola), inspired by the wave of feminist civil disobedience that swept Chile in the spring of 2018.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil disobedience
Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 19 July 2025
Protests — even ones that include civil disobedience — should not be met with violence unless there is no other option available.
—Dan Tully, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
Sanabria Tarazona had taken part in a nationwide civil disobedience aimed at ousting Maduro called La Salida or The Exit.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 17 June 2025
Sebastián Lelio’s has touched down in Cannes this year with musical film The Wave (La Ola), inspired by the wave of feminist civil disobedience that swept Chile in the spring of 2018.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil disobedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil disobedience
Noun
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Her image is now shorthand for beauty, decadence, rebellion, and misogyny.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
19 Sep. 2025
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Also on display was a 1774 letter from King George III to Prime Minister Lord North, acknowledging the escalating rebellion in the American colonies and referencing the Boston Tea Party as a pivotal moment in deteriorating relations.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry
Shane Croucher
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Others including, longtime Sacramento resident Richard Alcala, viewed the festivities as an act of defiance against the current presidential administration.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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In Schorr’s photograph, the duo, played by Julia Garner and Cole Escola, is more ambiguous, more gender-flouting, projecting an air of affectionate defiance.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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While declarations have been made in the past regarding our city having a sanctuary status, there have been no clear directives toward local law enforcement regarding noncooperation with federal agencies such as ICE.—
Scott Wartman,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
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These movements used many different tools at their disposal — lawsuits, mass rallies, strikes, work slowdowns, boycotts and other forms of noncooperation and resistance.—
David Brooks,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Civil disobedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20disobedience. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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