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 Indeed, the insurgency did not collapse until the United States shifted to a new approach, offering political and economic incentives to encourage Sunni tribes to oppose the terrorists. Robert A. Pape, Foreign Affairs, 21 June 2024 The gang insurgency blanketing the capital has paralyzed all activities, and in early March led to the suspension of commercial flights by American, JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines, the three major U.S. airlines servicing the country. Michael Wilner, Miami Herald, 31 May 2024 And as the insurgency mushroomed, people began to blame the foreign forces. Ruth MacLean, New York Times, 7 June 2024 Over the next few years, the insurgency spread through the poor and isolated province. Sophie Neiman, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for insurgency 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'insurgency.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of insurgency was in 1803

Dictionary Entries Near insurgency

Cite this Entry

“Insurgency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insurgency. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.

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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