Insubordinates

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Referring to individuals who do not obey authority or resist directives from superiors
2. Characterizing those who openly defy established rules or hierarchical structures within organizations
3. Describing a group of people who consistently refuse to comply with instructions or orders given by their leaders

Etymology: "Insubordinates" is simply the plural of "insubordinate," so it inherits its story. The adjective was formed in English from the prefix "in-," meaning "not," attached to "subordinate," which itself comes from the Latin "subordinare," to place under or arrange beneath. The base word "subordinate" thus describes someone placed in a lower rank, and adding "in-" reverses it: a person who refuses to stay in that place. The English formation was modeled on the French "insubordonné," which carries the same logic, so the word arrived with a French blueprint rather than being built from scratch in English alone. Its noun use, referring to people who resist those above them, grows naturally out of the adjective, which is why the plural simply adds "-s" to the group of such people.