Skip to main content
PlainSpell

subversion

sub·ver·sion/sʌ̈bˈvɝ.ʒən/noun

subversion is spelled S-U-B-V-E-R-S-I-O-N: 10 letters and 3 syllables (sub·ver·sion). It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,820th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, subversion means “The act of overthrowing a government or a ruler; dethronement” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of subversion is subversions.

How many letters and syllables are in subversion?

Letters10: S-U-B-V-E-R-S-I-O-N
Syllables3: sub·ver·sion
In writing1.1 times per million words; the 27,820th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is subversion?

Subversion appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,820th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce subversion?

  • UK /sʌbˈvɜː.ʃən/
  • US /sʌ̈bˈvɝ.ʒən/

As a noun (“A revision considered more similar to preceding subversions…”): /ˈsʌbˌvɜː.ʒən/, /ˈsʌbˌvɝ.ʒən/.

Subversion has 3 syllables, split sub·ver·sion in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-subversion.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with subversion?

The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as subversion from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹʒən/):

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of subversion

  • subversions plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does subversion mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    obsoleteThe act of subverting; overturning; flipping from beneath.

  2. 2

    The act of overthrowing a government or a ruler; dethronement.

  3. 3

    The condition of being subverted.

  4. 4

    A systematic attempt to overthrow a government by working from within; undermining.

  5. 5

    A revision considered more similar to preceding subversions than a revision deemed a new "version" is to preceding versions.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Subversion in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchchavirage (the act of overturning; flipping from beneath), subversion, renversement (the act of overthrowing a government, a ruler…)
GermanKentern (the act of overturning; flipping from beneath), Subversion (the act of overthrowing a government, a ruler…)
Portuguesesubversão (the act of overthrowing a government, a ruler…)
Spanishsubversión (the act of overthrowing a government, a ruler…), desestabilización (systematic attempt to overthrow a government by…)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does subversion come from?

Inherited from Middle English subversion, subversioun, from Old French subversion.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after subversion