disobbedite

Disobbedite is the Italian term used to express “you (plural) disobey.” Grammatically, it is the second-person plural imperative of the verb disobbedire, used to command a group to disobey. The spelling also corresponds to the present indicative form for the voi subject, as in “voi disobbedite” meaning “you (plural) disobey” in descriptive statements, while the standalone imperative is simply “Disobbedite!”

Origin and usage: Disobbedire comes from the prefix dis- (negation) attached to obbedire (to obey), itself from Latin obbedire. The word is primarily used in political, military, or social contexts where defiance of authority is being described or urged as a tactic. In ordinary conversation, speakers typically opt for phrases that express disagreement or noncompliance in more indirect ways, but the imperative form appears in speeches, slogans, or fictional dialogue.

Conceptual context: Disobedience, including disobbedite as a form of urging, relates to civil disobedience—a deliberate, nonviolent refusal to comply with laws or policies considered unjust. Scholars distinguish between illegal disobedience and principled civil disobedience, emphasizing moral reasoning, transparency, and nonviolence. Throughout history, acts of disobedience have been pivotal in movements for social and political change.

See also: Civil disobedience, obedience, nonviolent resistance.