rebel

1 of 3

adjective

reb·​el ˈre-bəl How to pronounce rebel (audio)
Synonyms of rebelnext
1
a
: opposing or taking arms against a government or ruler
b
: of or relating to rebels
the rebel camp
2
: disobedient, rebellious

rebel

2 of 3

noun

: one who rebels or participates in a rebellion

rebel

3 of 3

verb

re·​bel ri-ˈbel How to pronounce rebel (audio)
rebelled; rebelling

intransitive verb

1
a
: to oppose or disobey one in authority or control
b
: to renounce and resist by force the authority of one's government
2
a
: to act in or show opposition or disobedience
rebelled against the conventions of polite society
b
: to feel or exhibit anger or revulsion
rebelled at the injustice of life

Synonyms of rebel

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Adjective

Noun

Verb

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Examples of rebel in a Sentence

Adjective today's rebel chefs feel free to ignore the dictates of classic French cuisine Noun The government captured six armed rebels. He was a rebel against the school administration. He is a typical teenage rebel. Verb When the government imposed more taxes, the people rebelled. The protesters are rebelling against the new tax law. Children often rebel against their parents.
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.
Adjective
The rebel group has also intensified its attacks on troops and oil facilities in neighboring Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 Assad fled the capital Damascus as rebel fighters closed in nearly two years ago, and is currently in Russia, where he and his family were granted asylum on humanitarian grounds. — Kinda Makieh, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Noun
Many aid organizations were already on the ground in Choco supporting a 2016 peace accord between the government and leftist rebels, and responding to violence in the region involving other armed groups that has persisted since then. — ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026 The protests were met by a brutal government crackdown and spiraled into a 14-year civil war that ended with Assad’s ouster in a lightning rebel offensive. — CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
When the mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin rebelled against Putin, in 2023, the Wall Street Journal reported that then security council chief Nikolai Patrushev, age 75, orchestrated the plane crash that killed the rebel leader. — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026 This story covers the rise of robots rebelling against their masters. — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rebel

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin rebellis, from re- + bellum war, from Old Latin duellum

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of rebel was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing rebel

Rhymes for rebel

See All Rhymes for rebel

Browse Nearby Words

Rebekah
rebel
rebeldom
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rebel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebel. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

rebel

1 of 3 adjective
reb·​el ˈreb-əl How to pronounce rebel (audio)
1
: being or fighting against one's government or ruler
2
: not obeying

rebel

2 of 3 noun
: a person who refuses to give in to authority

rebel

3 of 3 verb
re·​bel ri-ˈbel How to pronounce rebel (audio)
rebelled; rebelling
1
: to be against or fight against authority and especially the authority of one's government
2
: to feel or show anger or strong dislike

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