1.
uprising, revolt, insurrection
A collective revolt or armed uprising, historically referring to peasant rebellions in feudal Japan. The participants banded together to resist oppressive taxes, famine conditions, or unjust rule.
農民が一揆を起こした。
The farmers staged an uprising.
重い年貢に耐えかねて、一揆が各地で起きた。
Unable to bear the heavy taxes, uprisings broke out in various regions.
江戸時代には百姓一揆が数多く記録されている。
Numerous peasant uprisings are recorded from the Edo period.
USAGE: 一揆 primarily appears in historical contexts. It refers specifically to collective uprisings in pre-modern Japan, particularly during the 室町時代 and 江戸時代.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 一揆を起こす (to stage an uprising)
- 百姓一揆 (peasant uprising)
- 一向一揆 (Ikkō-ikki, religious uprisings by Pure Land Buddhists)
- 土一揆 (land uprising, riots demanding debt cancellation)
ETYMOLOGY: 一 (one, united) + 揆 (action, measure). The word originally meant "acting as one" or "of one mind," emphasizing the collective nature of the movement.
NOTE: Do not confuse with 一気 (in one breath, all at once), which is a different word.