What does uprising mean?
An uprising is a rebellion against an authority, especially a government, in which people collectively resist or seek to overthrow established power. The word commonly appears in historical and political contexts and can refer to anything from a prison revolt to a broad national insurrection. An uprising normally implies organized collective action rather than a single act of protest, although its extent and objectives can vary greatly. In older and literary usage, an uprising can also mean a simple act of rising or an upward movement, but this sense is much less common today. The word carries serious and often dramatic connotations: it suggests danger, disruption, and resistance to authority. Related terms include revolt, insurrection, and rebellion, while an armed uprising specifically involves weapons or military organization.
nounAn uprising is an organized act of rebellion or revolt against an authority, especially a government or ruling power. In older or literary usage, it can also refer more generally to the act of rising.
- An organized rebellion or revolt against an authority, government, or ruling power.
- The act of rising or moving upward, in older or literary usage.
"The uprising forced the government to reopen negotiations with the opposition."
"Workers joined the uprising after the government refused to improve conditions in the mines."
"The novel traces the rebellion from its first quiet signs to the full-scale uprising against the regime."
The standard plural for separate uprisings.
"The country has experienced several uprisings over the past century."
An uprising turns a grievance into collective action: a word that can summon a revolution, a prison rebellion, or the movement of a crowd.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does uprising come from?
The word combines the prefix up with rising, which is based on the Germanic root represented by Old English rīsan, meaning “to rise” or “ascend.” The closely related verb uprise and the noun uprising developed from this older vocabulary, with the noun historically encompassing both an upward movement and a revolt. Related forms such as arise and raise ultimately reflect the same Germanic root, although they developed distinct grammatical and semantic uses.
Related word forms
How uprising is actually used
The word is formal and often historical or political. Contemporary usage usually emphasizes collective rebellion, while the literal sense of rising upward is comparatively rare and literary.
Easily confused with uprising
An uprising is normally a noun meaning a rebellion or organized revolt, whereas uprise is chiefly a verb meaning to rise up.
An uprising involves collective resistance or rebellion, while a rising more often means an increase, ascent, or the act of becoming higher.