rebel
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rebel
A person who actively, and often violently, rises up against a government or an existing order.
Die Truppen der Regierung kämpften gegen die Rebellen im Norden des Landes.
The government troops fought against the rebels in the north of the country.
'Der Rebell' is a noun of the N-declension. This means it takes the ending '-en' in the genitive, dative, and accusative singular. A common mistake is to forget this ending.
Die Regierung verhandelte mit dem Rebellen.
The government negotiated with the rebel.
The noun 'der Rebell' (the rebel) belongs to a word family with the verb 'rebellieren' (to rebel) and the adjective 'rebellisch' (rebellious, nonconformist).
Die Jugend rebellierte gegen die strengen Regeln.
The young people rebelled against the strict rules.
You can recognize the meaning from the context. If it is about war, politics, or armed conflict, the political rebel (m01) is meant. If it is about social rules, fashion, or personal behavior, the social rebel (m02) is meant, often in a figurative sense.
Die Rebellen legten ihre Waffen nieder.
The rebels laid down their weapons.
terrorist
'der Terrorist' and 'der Rebell' can both be connected with violence against an existing order. Still, the focus is different. A terrorist uses attacks and violence to spread fear among the population and achieve political or ideological goals. A rebel rises up against a government or order; this can be armed, but it does not always have to mean terror against the population. 'Rebell' can also be used more loosely for a person who does not follow rules or expectations. There is a risk of confusion especially in political news. The important point is: not every rebel is a terrorist, and 'Terrorist' is much more strongly connected with attacks and fear.
In dem Film kämpft der Rebell gegen die Regierung seines Landes.
In the film, the rebel fights against his country's government.
Nach dem Anschlag wurde der Terrorist an der Grenze festgenommen.
After the attack, the terrorist was arrested at the border.