What does insubordination mean?
Insubordination is the refusal to obey legitimate authority or accept the control imposed by a superior. It can describe an individual act, such as ignoring a direct order, or a broader pattern of resistance within a military unit, workplace, school, or other institution. The term commonly carries a strongly disapproving tone because it presents the defiance as a breach of discipline rather than as legitimate protest. Insubordination should not be confused with insubordinate, its adjectival form, or subordination, which means submission to authority. Although the word can describe open rebellion, it is also used for less dramatic conduct, such as persistent refusal to follow workplace rules. Its force comes from the contrast it draws between a subordinate’s duty to obey and the refusal to do so.
nounThe act of refusing to obey authority or submit to legitimate control. It may refer to open defiance or to more persistent, organized resistance.
- Defiance or refusal to obey legitimate authority, especially by a subordinate.
- Organized resistance to governing authority.
"The officers faced insubordination when several workers refused to carry out the order."
"The report described the shutdown as an act of insubordination."
"The novel explores the moral complexity of insubordination within a strict military hierarchy."
The plural is grammatically regular but uncommon, since the word is normally used for an instance or a general condition.
"The recording documented several insubordinations within the unit."
Insubordination is the rebellion of the subordinate: its name literally means being “under” an order and refusing to stay there.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does insubordination come from?
Insubordination comes from Latin insubordinatio, a noun formed from in- and subordinatio, meaning “subordination” or “placing under.” The Latin prefix in- here expresses opposition or negation, so the word originally conveyed being under or against a subordinate order. English borrowed the form in the early 19th century, alongside the established related word subordination and the later-derived adjective insubordinate.
Related word forms
How insubordination is actually used
The word is generally formal and often implies a serious breach of duty or institutional discipline. It is stronger and more condemnatory than simple noncompliance, particularly in legal and military contexts.
Easily confused with insubordination
Insubordination means resistance to authority, whereas subordination means submission to a higher authority or position.
Insubordination is the noun naming the act of defiance, while insubordinate is the adjective describing someone who resists authority.