subversion
Other forms: subversions
Subversion means overthrowing something, like a government or law, or it can mean corrupting someone’s personal morals, like making a vegetarian eat bacon by tricking her.
The Latin root subvertere means “to turn from below,” and when you turn something on its head in a sneaky way, that’s subversion. Imagine digging a hole in the ground, then covering the hole with a layer of sticks and leaves. When someone walks on it, they fall in. That’s the basic idea of subversion, attacking from below. People often use subversion to take down a corrupt government, and acts of subversion are a powerful way to protest injustice.
-
the act of subverting; as overthrowing or destroying a legally constituted governmentsynonyms: subversive activitytype of:overthrowthe termination of a ruler or institution (especially by force)
-
destroying someone's (or some group's) honesty or loyalty; undermining moral integrity
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing subversion
Written by the influential abolitionist, Douglass's autobiography bears witness to the horrors of slavery.
No time to scour the headlines or watch the news? No problem! We’ve rounded up the top words heard, read, debated, and discussed this week. Tragedy topped the headlines this week, with the mass shooting in Las Vegas leaving the nation in a state of shock and grief. At horrible times like these, especially after watching a barrage of images on the news, people look for solace wherever they can find it. Some turned to an enigmatic internet distraction named Ramona, while others reveled in the music of Tom Petty, who died this week. Take a look back at the week that was, vocabulary style.
In this historical novel set during the American Revolution, Tim Meeker must decide whether he should do as his father says and remain loyal to the British king or join his brother among the rebels.