Riot
A chaotic, lawless protest โ often not without reason โ or an exaggeration of one that is not. (see Protest)
How We Say It
rฤซยทษt
Where It Comes From
Old French riote โ quarrel, dispute. Of uncertain further origin. Originally meant argument or noisy behavior before acquiring the sense of collective violent disorder.
How It's Been Used
Studies of media coverage show 'riot' is applied to the same events differently by different outlets tracking political alignment. The 1992 Los Angeles events are called a riot or an uprising depending on the speaker's politics. The distinction matters legally โ riot charges carry penalties that protest does not.