Meaning & use
insubordination in the workplace
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Meaning
phraseuncountableformalbusiness
The act of an employee deliberately refusing to obey a manager's lawful and reasonable order.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase; it does not take 'a' or a plural. You can say 'an act of insubordination in the workplace'.
Patterns
- commit insubordination in the workplace
- be dismissed for insubordination in the workplace
- accuse someone of insubordination in the workplace
The supervisor warned that repeated insubordination in the workplace could lead to dismissal.
She was suspended for insubordination in the workplace after refusing to follow safety procedures.
The report found a pattern of insubordination in the workplace, especially among senior staff.
Common combinations
- gross insubordination
- Gross insubordination in the workplace may result in immediate termination.
- alleged insubordination
- He denied the alleged insubordination in the workplace and asked for a hearing.
- charge of insubordination
- The charge of insubordination in the workplace was later dropped.
- dismissal for insubordination
- Dismissal for insubordination in the workplace must be handled according to company policy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- defiance
- Defiance is a more general word for open refusal to obey; insubordination in the workplace is specifically about a subordinate's behavior toward a manager.
- disobedience
- Disobedience can apply to any rule or authority (e.g., a child to a parent); insubordination is narrower and used in work settings.
- rebelliousness
- Rebelliousness suggests a general attitude or tendency, while insubordination refers to specific acts of refusal.
Opposites
Word family
- insubordinate adjective
- Describing an employee who refuses to obey orders.
- insubordinate noun
- A person who is insubordinate; less common than the adjective.
- subordination noun
- The state of being lower in rank or under someone's authority.
Commonly confused: insubordination in the workplace or insubordination vs. disobedience?
insubordination in the workplace vs insubordination vs. disobedience
Disobedience is broader and can refer to any refusal to obey; insubordination is a formal workplace term for refusing a manager's order.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'insubordination in the workplace' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 fits because ignoring warnings is a clear example of refusing to obey a manager's lawful order. The other options describe positive or neutral behavior that would not be called insubordination.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “insubordination in the workplace”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.