Meaning & use
subversive
Last updated
Seeking or intended to undermine or overthrow an established system, government, or set of ideas.
See it in a sentence
The pamphlet was banned for containing subversive political ideas.
Her comedy is quietly subversive, mocking authority without ever raising its voice.
A note on using this word
Subversive can describe both dangerous political activity and milder, even playful, challenges to convention, as in subversive art or humor.
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