What does "sedition" mean?

Organized incitement of rebellion or civil disorder against authority or the state, usually by speech or writing.

What is a synonym for "sedition"?

Common synonyms include: action, agitation, alienation, collaboration, conspiracy, coup.

//səˈdɪʃən// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
Organized incitement of rebellion or civil disorder against authority or the state, usually by speech or writing. countable, uncountable
"That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed."
2
an illegal action inciting resistance to lawful authority and tending to cause the disruption or overthrow of the government wordnet
3
Insurrection or rebellion. countable, uncountable

"As when in mighty multitudes bursts out / sedition, and the wrathful rabble rave; / rage finds them arms; stones, firebrands fly about."

From Old French sedicion, from Latin sēditiō (“sedition, discord”), from sēd- (“apart”) (an alternative form of sē-) + itiō (“going”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.