Word of the Day

Tuesday, November 06, 2001

sedition

\sih-DISH-un\ , noun;

Conduct or language inciting resistance to or rebellion against lawful authority.

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Quotes:

Most of us now accept as common sense what was once prosecuted as sedition, namely Tom Paine's proposition that "the idea of hereditary legislators is as absurd as a hereditary mathematician -- as absurd as a hereditary poet laureate".

-- Geoffrey Robertson, "Dumping our Queen", The Guardian, November 6, 1999

At several points in his long career, Jinnah was threatened by the British with imprisonment on sedition charges for speaking in favour of Indian home rule or rights.

-- Akbar S. Ahmed, Jinnah, Pakistan and Islamic Identity

Outspoken critics of the policy have until now faced the possibility of having a charge of sedition brought against them.

-- David Cohen, "Malaysian universities rejecting Chinese students", The Guardian, May 3, 2001

Origin:

Sedition comes from Latin seditio, sedition-, "a going apart," hence "revolt, insurrection," from se-, "apart" + itio, ition-, "act of going," from ire, "to go."