subversive Add to list Share. ... You can use subversive as a noun or an adjective without changing it one whit. Note the prefix sub, meaning "underneath," with the remainder coming from the Latin vertere, "to turn." Think about a subversive as a sneaky kind of revolutionary who tries to turn the system from underneath.

What is the root word of subversive?

The Latin root subvertere means “to turn from below,” and when you turn something on its head in a sneaky way, that's subversion. ... People often use subversion to take down a corrupt government, and acts of subversion are a powerful way to protest injustice.

Is Subversion a noun?

the act of subverting or the condition of being subverted. a systematic attempt to overthrow a government by working from within; undermining.