Insubordinate means refusing to obey somebody in authority. Insubordinate behaviour, charged as insubordinate, openly insubordinate.
It belongs to the army and to workplaces with ranks, where insubordination is a charge with a procedure attached. It is about refusing rather than failing, so incompetence is not insubordinate.
1adjectiveinsubordinateRefusing to obey somebody in authority.
“The soldier was punished for being insubordinate to his officer.”
insubordinate is a quality.
In-, not, plus subordinate, from Latin sub, under, plus ordo, rank.
French
insubordonné
English, today
insubordinate
From in + subordinate, on model of French insubordonné.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA