renegade; rebellious elements
Refers to individuals or groups within an organization who oppose authority or the established order, often with a nuance of betrayal.
Renegades within the party openly criticized the party leader.
Rebellious elements in the military plotted a coup.
反逆者 is a more common word for 'rebel' or 'traitor' referring to an individual, while 反逆分子 emphasizes the person as an element within a group or system.
反乱分子 focuses on insurrection or uprising, whereas 反逆分子 can include ideological betrayal or defiance without open revolt.
Compound of 反逆 (rebellion, treason) and 分子 (element, member). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word follows a common pattern for describing subversive members of a group.