rebelliousness

noun

Definition of rebelliousnessnext
as in rebellion
refusal to obey her habitual rebelliousness eventually landed her in the principal's office

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 rebelliousness This element of female rebelliousness is very important to me. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019 This transit stokes your sense of independence and even rebelliousness, inspiring you to strike out against convention and innovate more than ever. — Maressa Brown, InStyle, 9 Jan. 2026 Marji’s rebelliousness, both admirable and terrifying for those who love her, is her salient characteristic. — Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026 At times, Carol’s admirable rebelliousness seems to come at the cost of self-flagellating destruction, a badge of honor to be miserable. — Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2025 The natural obstinacy and rebelliousness of Israa’s teenage years are hyperaccelerated by culture clashes with both her family and the other kids around her. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2026 The pseudo-goth hair and costume choices speak to an inner rebelliousness that isn’t so much unleashed as forced loose by a system that values the appearance of a mythical impartiality over her humanity, leaving her with little recourse but to step outside the confines of the law. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 23 Feb. 2026 The rebelliousness can be witnessed in everything from its ’70s-in-California style to the very naming conventions Mother chooses for its viral products — adored by A-listers like Gigi Hadid, Chrissy Teigen, Millie Bobby Brown, and more. — Kristina Rutkowski, Footwear News, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebelliousness
  1. rebellion
  2. defiance
  3. willfulness
Noun
  • Amid a rebellion over the SAVE Act, Johnson lost control of the House floor for a second time this week, sending lawmakers home early for the July Fourth recess.
    — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • These battles have completely receded from the American imagination, even though, in some ways, the American rebellion was a sideshow to a far greater imperial drama.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • His clippings included reporting on Black students facing higher rates of suspension for willful defiance and a cover story on Oak Park residents who offered a history of the neighborhood.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 27 June 2026
  • One defendant convicted by a jury continues to engage in noisy defiance.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2026
Definition of defiance
Noun
  • Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.
    — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.
    — Brad Shoup, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2026
Definition of willfulness

Browse Nearby Words

rebellious
rebelliousness
rebels
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rebelliousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebelliousness. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on rebelliousness

Nglish: Translation of rebelliousness for Spanish Speakers

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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All