insurrectionary

Insurrectionary is an adjective and sometimes a noun used to describe something related to insurrection, an uprising against a governing authority. In political discourse and social theory, insurrectionary refers to movements, individuals, or tactics aimed at overthrowing or challenging the established state or ruling class, often prioritizing direct action and popular mobilization over formal political participation.

It is commonly applied in histories of uprisings and in analyses of insurgencies, social revolts, and revolutionary movements. Insurrectionary actions can be violent or nonviolent, but the label often connotes clandestine organization, spontaneity, or anti-state sentiments rather than conventional electoral politics.

In anarchist theory, insurrectionary anarchism uses the term to describe a strategy emphasizing the eruption of mass action as a catalyst for social transformation, sometimes at odds with organized political parties.

Related terms include insurrection, rebellion, uprising, insurgency, and revolution; insurrectionary is distinct in its focus on uprising as a tactic, sometimes emphasizing anti-institutional action.

The term is value-laden and its interpretation varies by field and tradition, so scholars typically specify the context when employing it.