Disobedient means refusing to follow rules, instructions, or commands from someone in authority. A disobedient student ignores their teacher's directions. A disobedient dog runs away when called instead of coming back. When you're being disobedient, you know what you're supposed to do, but you deliberately choose not to do it.

Disobedience is different from simply forgetting or misunderstanding instructions. If you forget to feed the cat, that's not disobedience. But if your parent asks you to feed the cat and you refuse because you'd rather play video games, that's being disobedient.

Someone who is disobedient might talk back, break rules on purpose, or ignore what they've been told to do.

Sometimes disobedience is petty and selfish, like refusing to clean your room. But history shows that disobedience can also be principled and courageous. When the American colonists disobeyed British laws they considered unjust, that disobedience helped create a new nation. Context matters: disobeying a safety rule puts people at risk, while disobeying an unfair rule might take real courage and careful thought.