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Is insurgent a new word?
Insurgent is not a particularly novel coinage; it has been in use as both a noun and an adjective for well over 200 years. Appearances of the word began to spike in the early 21st century, however, due to a combination of factors (including the appearance of such combatants in conflicts and the desire among journalists to avoid words that might seem biased, such as terrorist or freedom fighter).
The definition of the noun, which includes the phrase “a rebel not recognized as a belligerent,” refers to a specific sense of belligerent: “belonging to or recognized as an organized military power protected by and subject to the laws of war.”
Synonyms
Examples of insurgent in a Sentence
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
In Mogadishu, Somalia, the State Department instructed security guards who were protecting an arms depot from insurgents to simply walk off the site, according to a company official.
—Brett Murphy, ProPublica, 31 Jan. 2025
Shafaq Patel, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025
Members of the insurgent forces also told NBC News that bombing by Russian aircraft overnight also focused on the Rustan bridge along the main route to Homs, presumably in a bid to slow the rebels' advance.
—Ammar Cheikh Omar, NBC News, 6 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Insurgent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insurgent. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.
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insurgent
1 of 2 noun
insurgent
2 of 2 adjectiveLegal Definition
insurgent
1 of 2 noun
insurgent
2 of 2 adjective
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