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re·bel

(rĭ-bĕl)

intr.v. re·belled, re·bel·ling, re·bels

1. To refuse allegiance to and oppose by force an established government or ruling authority.

2. To resist or defy an authority or a generally accepted convention.

3. To feel or express strong unwillingness or repugnance: She rebelled at the unwelcome suggestion.

n. reb·el (rĕbəl)

1. One who rebels or is in rebellion.

2. Rebel A Confederate soldier.

3. A person who resists or defies authority or convention: "In her own mind, Jan is ... a rebel, an iconoclast, a strange and estranged and angry freedom fighter" (Perri Klass).

[Middle English rebellen, from Old French rebeller, from Latin rebellāre : re-, re- + bellāre, to make war (from bellum, war). N., Middle English, rebellious, rebel, from Old French rebelle, from Latin rebellis, from rebellāre.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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