Origin of the word insurgent
In terms of etymology, an insurgent is someone who ‘rises up’. It comes from the Latin verb insurgere, which was formed from in- in the sense ‘against’ and surgere ‘rise’. By extension, an insurgent became someone ‘rising up against the system’ or ‘someone someone taking part in an uprising, a belligerent who is not part of an officially recognized fighting force’.
In the modern day sense, the term insurgents are used for people who revolt against the state and are involved in acts of terrorism. Whether insurgents are terrorists is in fact a contentious question of usage, generating quite a few debates.
The dictionary definitions for INSURGENT are as follows:
1. Rising in revolt against established authority, especially a government. (verb)
2. Rebelling against the leadership of a political party. (verb)
3. One who is insurgent. (noun)
Masters tip to learn Insurgent:
INSURGENT=SURGE against the SYSTEM.
Word In Context:
The following is an extract from The New York used for educational purposes:
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