insurgency
noun
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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.
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Examples of insurgency in a Sentence
Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2025
Its battalions have been smashed; all that is left is a ragtag insurgency capable only of hit-and-run tactics.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2025
As Russia’s foothold in Africa expands – notably in the mineral-rich Sahel region that is beset by recurring coups, armed rebellion and extremist insurgency – anti-Western sentiments, partly fueled by Russian propaganda, are engineering the exit of Western troops from swathes of territory.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN, 18 Jan. 2025
The government is struggling to address housing and debt crises, and to quell a yearslong insurgency backed by the Islamic State.
—Tavares Cebola, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
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“Insurgency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insurgency. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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insurgency
noun
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