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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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

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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
This insurrectionary narrative about the media is not restricted to the right. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 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 In a year of cancellations and euphemisms, the city mounted a counterprogram that was quietly insurrectionary, stubbornly joyous. — The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025 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 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
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
  • Gillespie also has a reputation for melding music to movies, as seen in Cruella, his 2021 movie that cast Disney villainess Cruella de Vil as a punk rock rebel in London’s fashion scene.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026
  • The winner is the daughter of the late Alberto Fujimori, the former president whose government in the 1990s defeated the Shining Path extremist rebel group but also took an authoritarian turn.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of rebel
Noun
  • Good luck with that message in flyover country when the revolutionaries don’t enjoy the advantages of light-turnout primaries.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Many became meeting places for the Founding Fathers and other revolutionaries as tensions with Britain grew.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 4 July 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 7 Jul. 2026.

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