noun phrase · academic
civil disobedience
UK/ˌsɪvɪl dɪsəˈbiːdiəns/US/ˌsɪvəl dɪsəˈbiːdiəns/CI·vil dis·o·BEE·di·ence
the practice of nonviolent refusal to obey certain laws as a form of protest
Examples
“Many civil disobedience campaigns have been crucial in gaining civil rights.”
“Students used civil disobedience to protest the new policy.”
“Civil disobedience is usually nonviolent and aims to draw public attention to unjust laws.”
Band 8 sentence
“The activists deliberately practised civil disobedience, occupying the public square to expose the injustice of the new law.”
Collocations
- engage in civil disobedience
- peaceful civil disobedience
- a campaign of civil disobedience
Word family
Common mistakes
They made civil disobediences last month.→They engaged in acts of civil disobedience last month.
Civil disobedience means breaking law violently.→Civil disobedience is typically nonviolent disobedience of certain laws.
Say it for a higher band
5protest→6nonviolent protest→7+civil disobedience
Synonyms
nonviolent protest
Easily confused
protest
“The students organised a protest outside the ministry to demand education reforms.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Society & Government
Learn it with its set