insurgency
Revolt against government
Insurgency is armed rebellion against an established authority, typically a government.
Unlike conventional warfare between armies, insurgency relies on guerrilla tactics, local support, and gradual destabilization: The military struggled to contain the insurgency in the northern provinces.
The term often appears in discussions of counterinsurgency—efforts to suppress such movements.
Defiance of established power
- uprisingOrganized resistance to power
- insurrectionViolent uprising against authority
- coupAbrupt seizure of power
- mutinyRevolt against authority
sedition · subversion · regime change · overthrow · revolution · separatism · autonomy · sovereignty
Concealed from authorities
- covertIntentionally concealed
- sabotageDeliberate disruption of operations
- cellsBasic biological units
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
safe house · recruitment · propaganda · infiltration · supply lines · hit-and-run · ambush · reconnaissance
Irregular combatants, unconventional warfare
- rebelsArmed opposition fighters
- militantsAggressive advocates for causes
- fightersThose who engage physically
- partisansStaunch factional supporters
mujahideen · fedayeen · combatants · separatists · resistance fighters · irregulars · paramilitaries · commanders
Violent disturbance or confusion
- chaosComplete disorder and confusion
- unrestState of public disturbance
- disorderAbsence of organization
- volatilityRapid, unpredictable changeability
crisis · fragility · destabilization · power vacuum · lawlessness · displacement · refugees · humanitarian crisis
Shift toward extreme ideology
- extremismIdeology beyond accepted norms
- nationalismDevotion to one's country
- jihadismArmed struggle ideology
- MarxismClass-based revolutionary philosophy
anti-colonial · revolutionary · liberation theology · ethnonationalism · sectarianism · fundamentalism · indoctrination · manifesto
rebellion
Defiance of established power
- uprisingOrganized resistance to power
- insurrectionViolent uprising against authority
- coupAbrupt seizure of power
mutiny · sedition · subversion · regime change · overthrow · revolution · separatism · autonomy · sovereignty · liberation
clandestine
Concealed from authorities
underground · safe house · recruitment · propaganda · infiltration · supply lines · hit-and-run · ambush · reconnaissance · intelligence
guerrillas
Irregular combatants, unconventional warfare
- rebelsArmed opposition fighters
- militantsAggressive advocates for causes
- fightersThose who engage physically
partisans · mujahideen · fedayeen · combatants · separatists · resistance fighters · irregulars · paramilitaries · commanders · warlords
turmoil
Violent disturbance or confusion
- chaosComplete disorder and confusion
- unrestState of public disturbance
- disorderAbsence of organization
volatility · crisis · fragility · destabilization · power vacuum · lawlessness · displacement · refugees · humanitarian crisis · failed state
radicalization
Shift toward extreme ideology
- extremismIdeology beyond accepted norms
- nationalismDevotion to one's country
- jihadismArmed struggle ideology
Marxism · anti-colonial · revolutionary · liberation theology · ethnonationalism · sectarianism · fundamentalism · indoctrination · manifesto · cause
- Revolutionrevolt, uprising, insurrection, overthrow, revolutionaries
- warcombat, warfare, battle scenes, battles, soldier
- warfarebattle, combat, attack, war, armed conflict
- conflictsargument, fight, war, battle, dispute
- defiancedefiance, disobedience, insubordination, noncompliance, rebellion
- mutinymutiny, mutineer, mutinous, naval mutiny, revolt
insurgencylawfulness
Conformity to regulations
compliance · obedience · loyalty · allegiance · submission
insurgencypeace
Freedom from disturbance
calm · stability · order · civil order · tranquility
insurgencycounterinsurgency
Combating armed rebellion tactics
counterrevolution · suppression · military occupation · government crackdown
- insurgent movementsOrganized armed resistance efforts
- insurgent groupsArmed anti-government factions
- communist insurgencyMarxist armed revolt
- insurgent leadersThose heading an uprising
- insurgent forcesArmed opposition to authority
insurgent, insurgence, insurgents, insurgencies, counterinsurgency