Insurgency
/ɪnˈsɜːrdʒənsi/
Definitions
2 meaningsA state of open revolt and resistance against a government or authority.
/ɪnˈsɜːrdʒənsi/
An organized armed rebellion against an established government or authority.
The country is facing a protracted insurgency that has caused widespread instability.
💡 Simply: Imagine a group of people who aren't happy with the government, so they start fighting back. That's an insurgency. Like when kids form their own club because they don't like the school rules!
👶 For kids: When a group of people fight against the people who are in charge, it's called an insurgency.
More Examples
The government launched a major offensive to combat the insurgency.
The insurgency's use of guerilla tactics made it difficult to suppress.
How It's Used
"The government struggled to quell the ongoing insurgency in the northern provinces."
"Military strategists analyzed the insurgency's tactics and leadership."
"The news reported on the escalating insurgency threatening the nation's stability."
A state of open revolt and resistance against a government or authority.
/ɪnˈsɜːrdʒənsi/
A rebellion, an act or instance of rising in revolt, resistance.
The historical study of the American insurgency during the revolutionary war.
💡 Simply: Imagine a group of people who aren't happy with the government, so they start fighting back. That's an insurgency. Like when kids form their own club because they don't like the school rules!
👶 For kids: When a group of people fight against the people who are in charge, it's called an insurgency.
More Examples
The government launched a major offensive to combat the insurgency.
The insurgency's use of guerilla tactics made it difficult to suppress.
How It's Used
"The historical study of the American insurgency during the revolutionary war."
"The government struggled to quell the ongoing insurgency in the northern provinces."
Idioms & expressions
counter-insurgency
Military and political actions taken to defeat an insurgency.
"The military developed a counter-insurgency strategy to address the growing threat."
quell an insurgency
To suppress or put an end to an insurgency.
"The government is struggling to quell the insurgency."
wage an insurgency
To start and carry out an armed rebellion.
"Rebel groups decided to wage an insurgency against the existing regime."
From Latin *insurgere* meaning 'to rise up', derived from *in-* 'in' + *surgere* 'to rise'. The term gained prominence in the context of armed resistance against established authority.
The word 'insurgency' gained prominence in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, particularly in discussions of asymmetric warfare and internal conflicts.
Memory tip
Think of 'surge' - a sudden, forceful uprising.