Mutiny

noun; also verb (intransitive)
/ˈmjuːtɪni/
An organised, forcible rebellion by soldiers or sailors against the authority of their commanding officers or the government they serve.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

When the rank and file of a coercive apparatus lose faith in the legitimacy of their command, discontent can harden into open mutiny, as the 1857 uprising demonstrated, reminding the modern state that disciplined institutions endure only so long as authority is perceived as just.

Synonyms

revoltinsurrectionrebellioninsubordinationuprisingsedition

Antonyms

obediencecomplianceallegiancesubmission

🌱 Word Family

mutiny (n./v.), mutineer (n.), mutinous (adj.), mutinously (adv.), mutinied (v. past)

🔡 Root

Old French meute = revolt, movement < Vulgar Latin movita = military uprising < Latin movēre = to move

📜 Etymology

From obsolete French mutiner ("to revolt"), from meutin ("rebellious"), from meute ("a revolt, movement"), from Vulgar Latin movita ("a military uprising"), ultimately from Latin movēre ("to move"); entered English in the 1560s.

🧠 Memory Hook

Share the Latin root movere "to move" with "motion" and "move" - a mutiny is when subordinates collectively MOVE against their commander; think of restless sailors "moving" to seize the ship.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Mutiny” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

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