Meanings
plural insurrectionists
- A person who provokes or takes part in an insurrection.
It comes from the Latin insurgo, meaning “to rise up within”: so insurrectionists are, etymologically, the same as “insurgents”, even if that is normally a word for those who do not meekly accept western military rule.
2021 January 13, Steven Poole, “'Insurrection': how an old word for an old thing was Trumped”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 20 Jan 20212 more examples
Defining the mostly white crowd that stormed the Capitol on January 6 as “insurrectionists” does more than set a narrative mood, it represents a major narrative shift—expanding the traditional role of the insurrectionist beyond the Black actor to the white one.
2022 January 7, Hawa Allan, “What the History of the Word “Insurrection” Says About Jan. 6”, in TIME, archived from the original on 08 Jan 2022Right-wing social media users are amplifying questionable interpretations of some of the clips, claiming they show law enforcement officials helping the rioters storm the Capitol, with some FBI officials acting as insurrectionists, coining the term “fedsurrection.”
2023 November 19, Sara Dorn, “New Jan. 6 Videos Released—Launching Wild Conspiracies From The Far Right”, in Forbes, archived from the original on 22 Nov 2023Synonyms: insurrectionary
- not comparableInvolved in or characterized by insurrection.
The insurrectionist movement is mainstream, not simply confined to the political fringe.
2022 January 6, Robert A. Pape, “The Jan. 6 Insurrectionists Aren’t Who You Think They Are”, in Foreign Policy, →ISSN, archived from the original on 07 Jan 20221 more example
The atmosphere was undeniably insurrectionist in nature, yet the police response was languid to the extent that one woman asked an officer when they would be leaving because "they have to fix up."
2016 December 17, Paolo Kernahan, “Lack of Standards Fuelling Crime”, in Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, archived from the original on 17 Oct 2022Synonyms: insurrectionary
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA person who provokes or takes part in an insurrection.
adjectiveInvolved in or characterized by insurrection.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna person who takes part in an armed rebellion against the constituted authority (especially in the hope of improving conditions)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
German Aufrührer, Aufrührerin
- Aufrührerperson who provokes insurrection
- Aufrührerinperson who provokes insurrection
- Aufständischerperson who provokes insurrection
- Aufständischeperson who provokes insurrection
Italian insurrezionalista
- insurrezionalistaperson who provokes insurrection
Polish powstaniec
- powstaniecperson who provokes insurrection
Russian мяте́жник, мяте́жница
- мяте́жник (mjatéžnik)person who provokes insurrection
- мяте́жница (mjatéžnica)person who provokes insurrection
- бунтовщи́к (buntovščík)person who provokes insurrection
- бунтовщи́ца (buntovščíca)person who provokes insurrection
- повста́нец (povstánec)person who provokes insurrection
- бунта́рь (buntárʹ)person who provokes insurrection
- бунта́рка (buntárka)person who provokes insurrection
- инсурге́нт (insurgént)person who provokes insurrection
- инсурге́нтка (insurgéntka)person who provokes insurrection
Spanish insurrecto, insurgente
- insurrectoperson who provokes insurrection
- insurgenteperson who provokes insurrection
Ukrainian повста́нець, повста́нка
- повста́нець (povstánecʹ)person who provokes insurrection
- повста́нка (povstánka)person who provokes insurrection
- заколо́тник (zakolótnyk)person who provokes insurrection
- заколо́тниця (zakolótnycja)person who provokes insurrection
- бунтівни́к (buntivnýk)person who provokes insurrection
- бунтівни́ця (buntivnýcja)person who provokes insurrection
- бунта́р (buntár)person who provokes insurrection
- бунта́рка (buntárka)person who provokes insurrection
Cite this entry
insurrectionist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insurrectionist
“insurrectionist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insurrectionist. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “insurrectionist,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insurrectionist.
Source: insurrectionist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.