insurgent
n. countablen. a person who fights against their own government or a group in power. They are usually part of a group that is not an official army.
n. a person who takes part in an armed rebellion against an established government or authority. Often used to describe members of irregular forces rather than state militaries.
The insurgent group attacked the government base.
After years of civil unrest, the insurgents gained control of several key cities in the northern province.
Military analysts noted that the insurgents relied on their deep knowledge of the local terrain to evade capture by the more heavily armed government forces.
From Latin īnsurgentem, accusative singular of īnsurgēns, present active participle of īnsurgō (“I rise up against, revolt”), from in (“against”) + surgō (“I rise”), itself from sub (“up from below”) + regō (“I guide, direct, rule, govern, administer”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“to move in a straight line, to rule, guide, lead straight, put right”).
Often used as a collective noun in the plural to refer to a rebel movement.