refusal to accept some authority or code or convention
"each generation must have its own rebellion"
"his body was in rebellion against fatigue"
organized opposition to authority; a conflict in which one faction tries to wrest control from another
"The underground rebellion against the dictator eventually grew into a full-scale civil war as rival factions vied for power."
Armed resistance to an established government or ruler.
"The oppressed provinces launched a violent rebellion against the tyrannical king."
In plain English: Rebellion is when people openly refuse to obey authority figures because they disagree with them.
"The students organized a rebellion against the strict new school rules."
Usage: The term refers specifically to organized armed resistance rather than general civil disobedience or peaceful protest. It carries a formal tone and should be distinguished from synonyms like "rebellion" when discussing non-violent uprisings.
The word entered English from the Old French rebellion, which itself came from the Latin rebēlliō. It originally referred to an act of rising up in open resistance against established authority.