subversion
noun
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Subversion is literally the "turning over" of something. In the 1950s and '60s, many people worried about communist subversion of the U.S. government, though they often saw subversive activities where none existed. Nondemocratic governments often claim that anyone who disagrees with them or joins a demonstration is a subversive. But subversion isn't always quite so serious a matter; when words like weekend, sandwich, job, *and *camping started being used by the French, for example, some of them began claiming that America was subverting their language.
Examples of subversion in a Sentence
Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
Vance’s core complaint was that countries such as Germany are engaged in censorship, thought control, and the subversion of democracy.
—The Editors, National Review, 18 Feb. 2025
Stan’s gutsy subversion of his looks won him the Silver Bear for leading performance at last year’s Berlin International Film Festival and the Golden Globe for acting in a comedy or musical last month.
—Marc Tracy, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
In 2020, Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong, introducing the maximum sentence of life imprisonment for four main crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subversion
Cite this Entry
“Subversion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subversion. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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