insurgency

noun

in·​sur·​gen·​cy in-ˈsər-jən(t)-sē How to pronounce insurgency (audio)
plural insurgencies
1
2
: the quality or state of being insurgent
specifically : a condition of revolt against a government that is less than an organized revolution and that is not recognized as belligerency

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Insurgencies fall into the category of "irregular warfare", since an insurgency normally lacks the organization of a revolution, even though it has the same aims. Revolutions often begin within a country's armed forces, whereas insurgencies often arise in remote areas, where they gain strength slowly by winning the confidence of rural populations. An insurgency may be based on ethnic or religious identity, or its roots may be basically political or economic. Since insurgencies are rarely strong enough to face a national army head-on, insurgents (often called guerrillas) tend to use such tactics as bombing, kidnapping, hostage taking, and hijacking.

Examples of insurgency in a Sentence

there always seems to be insurgency of some type in that troubled country
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
When all is said and done, Netanyahu is plunging Israel into a war of attrition with an insurgency that has shown no signs of submitting to Israel’s maximalist objectives. Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025 Hollywood is currently in the midst of an AI insurgency, though even that noun may not do the moment justice. Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2025 In the North East — where years of armed insurgency by Boko Haram and other terrorist splinter groups have caused widespread devastation — the challenges are even more pronounced. Forbes.com, 16 July 2025 Dozens of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants began handing over weapons in a ceremony in a cave in northern Iraq on Friday, officials said, marking a symbolic but significant step toward ending a decades-long insurgency against Turkey. Reuters, NBC news, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for insurgency

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of insurgency was in 1803

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Cite this Entry

“Insurgency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insurgency. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

insurgency

noun
in·​sur·​gen·​cy in-ˈsər-jən-sē How to pronounce insurgency (audio)
plural insurgencies

Legal Definition

insurgency

noun
in·​sur·​gen·​cy in-ˈsər-jən-sē How to pronounce insurgency (audio)
plural insurgencies
: the quality or state of being insurgent
specifically : a condition of revolt against a recognized government that does not reach the proportions of an organized revolutionary government and is not recognized as belligerency

More from Merriam-Webster on insurgency

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