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.
Examples of insurgency in a Sentence
Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 13 July 2025
What followed was a maelstrom: insurgency, sectarian bloodshed, and the birth of ISIS.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
The conflict surged in 2022, when Rwandan military forces entered the DRC to provide support to the March 23 Movement, a rebel group also known as M23, and its insurgency against the Congolese military.
—Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 27 June 2025
As unmanned aerial vehicles increasingly dominate global battlefields, Latin America is quietly emerging as a testing ground for drone warfare by non-state actors — from drug cartels to guerrilla insurgencies, according to a report released Wednesday.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for insurgency
Cite this Entry
“Insurgency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insurgency. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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insurgency
noun
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