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Meaning & use

mutiny

noun, verb·Advanced

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UK/ˈmjuːtəni/
US/ˈmjutəni/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable or uncountablemilitary

    An open act of rebellion by soldiers or sailors against the officers who command them.

    Grammar: Countable for an event (a mutiny), uncountable in general: charged with mutiny.

    Patterns

    • a mutiny against someone
    • a mutiny on something

    The captain faced a mutiny after weeks of cut rations.

    Historians still debate the causes of the mutiny.

    Several sailors were charged with mutiny.

  2. nouncountable or uncountablefigurative

    Any open refusal by a group to obey a leader or a rule, outside the armed forces.

    Grammar: Figurative: a mutiny among staff.

    Patterns

    • a mutiny among someone

    The staff staged a mutiny over the new schedule.

    Parents threatened a mutiny against the school's plans.

    There was talk of mutiny in the team after the coach's decision.

  3. verbintransitive

    To rebel openly against a commander or leader.

    Grammar: No object; often followed by against: mutiny against the captain.

    Patterns

    • mutiny against someone

    The crew mutinied against the captain.

    Troops mutinied when pay stopped.

    Workers threatened to mutiny against the new owner.

Word forms

pluralmutinies
third person singularmutinies
past tensemutinied
past participlemutinied
-ing formmutinying

Common combinations

lead a mutiny
A junior officer led the mutiny.
crush a mutiny
The admiral crushed the mutiny quickly.
a mutiny on the ship
A mutiny on the ship changed the course of the voyage.
an open mutiny
Open mutiny spread through the camp.
mutiny against
They mutinied against unfair orders.

Synonyms and how they differ

rebellion
Rebellion can be by any group against any authority, whereas mutiny is typically in the military or at sea.
revolt
Revolt is broader and often involves a public against a government, not only subordinates against officers.
insurrection
Insurrection is more formal and political, a rising against government rather than commanders.
uprising
Uprising suggests mass action by a population, not just crew members.

Opposites

obedienceloyalty

Word family

mutineer noun
a person who takes part in a mutiny
mutinous adjective
ready to rebel or refusing to obey
mutinously adverb
in a rebellious way

Commonly confused: mutiny or mutant? mutiny or mutation?

mutiny vs mutant

A mutant is an organism changed by mutation, unrelated to mutiny.

mutiny vs mutation

A mutation is a change in genes, not a rebellion.

Practice

Which situation is best called a mutiny?

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