1
a
: opposing or taking arms against a government or ruler
b
: of or relating to rebels
the rebel camp
2
rebelled; rebelling
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
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
Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 18 June 2024
The Right Path to a Syrian Accord To develop a political settlement to stop the fighting between the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Syria’s many rebel groups, negotiators must first build…
Empty Promises?
U.S. President Barack Obama has vocally promoted a human rights agenda.
—Kenneth Roth, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
Essence, 18 June 2024
Back then, the southern rebels were far away from Khartoum.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2024
Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 17 June 2024
When this news came out, astronomers took note, and many rebelled against the choice of the observatory’s name.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for rebel 
Adjective
During this 172-day siege, King Henry III’s troops attacked the rebel forces loyal to his brother-in-law.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 18 June 2024
The Right Path to a Syrian Accord To develop a political settlement to stop the fighting between the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Syria’s many rebel groups, negotiators must first build…
Empty Promises?
U.S. President Barack Obama has vocally promoted a human rights agenda.
—Kenneth Roth, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
Noun
In parts of the South, violence broke out as former rebels returned to plots that had since been occupied by the emancipated.
—Essence, 18 June 2024
Back then, the southern rebels were far away from Khartoum.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2024
Verb
At first, Johnny isn't really rebelling against anything.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 17 June 2024
When this news came out, astronomers took note, and many rebelled against the choice of the observatory’s name.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for rebel
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rebel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rebel
Cite this Entry
“Rebel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebel. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rebel
1 of 3 adjective
reb·el
ˈreb-əl 
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
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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