1
as in discord
a lack of agreement or harmony
considerable dissent within the party's rank and file
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dissention
departure from a generally accepted theory, opinion, or practice
the church reacted to any form of dissent by promptly excommunicating its proponents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to disagree
to have a different opinion
anyone who dissented was encouraged to speak out while they had the chance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dissent
Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
In the northwestern province of Xinjiang, for instance, Beijing has refused to engage moderate voices and has relied on direct repression, including sending a large swath of the population to internment camps, to erase local culture and silence dissent among Uyghurs.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Jan Wolfe, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Judge Marilyn Zayas dissented, arguing the appeals court did not have jurisdiction because prosecutors currently are appealing a separate issue to the Ohio Supreme Court related to the Jones case.
—Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissent
Noun
There’s a possibility Collins could dissent at the Fed’s September 16-17 meeting if officials proceed with a rate cut, according to John Canavan, lead analyst at Oxford Economics.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
In the northwestern province of Xinjiang, for instance, Beijing has refused to engage moderate voices and has relied on direct repression, including sending a large swath of the population to internment camps, to erase local culture and silence dissent among Uyghurs.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
Two conservative justices — Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito — dissented from the May ruling.
—Jan Wolfe, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Judge Marilyn Zayas dissented, arguing the appeals court did not have jurisdiction because prosecutors currently are appealing a separate issue to the Ohio Supreme Court related to the Jones case.
—Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissent
Noun
-
Kirk was one of the slate of Republicans who called for more transparency around the Jeffrey Epstein files in a rare moment of discord within the party.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
However, the pair have had a history of discord.—
Erica Marrison,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Relating to the mom’s situation, other parents on Mumsnet offered their pro tips regarding the stress-inducing situation, while other users disagreed.—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
-
After a major measles resurgence began in 1989, scientists moved to add a second dose of the MMR vaccine to bolster protection—but the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC’s vaccine-advisory panel disagreed on the optimal time to administer it.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
All have historical roots, many once considered and debated, just to be cast aside during the Oslo years, when the two-state solution—whose roots were shallower—ruled supreme, became the lingua franca, and all else was deemed heresy.—
Hussein Agha,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
-
His writings were condemned by the church as heresy but found a fan centuries later in Martin Heidegger, which makes sense.—
Jon Raymond
August 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
That moment of silence itself soon erupted into House strife, with shouting on the floor.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Against the backdrop of the golden sand dunes in Ninh Thuan province, family strife boils over when a son’s dream to dance to the beat of his own heart pits him against his father’s wishes.—
Nancy Tartaglione,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The character — and those punchlines — carry a different meaning today, as unpacked by this documentary about nonconformity and being seen.—
Chris Foran,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
In the postwar years, Malaparte claimed that his imprisonments by Mussolini were proof of his anti-Fascist credentials—or, at least, his irrepressible nonconformity.—
Thomas Meaney,
New Yorker,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
That means that the iX3 will regeneratively brake for the overwhelming majority of the time—just 5–10 percent of braking events should require the friction brakes, we're told.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Entrenched Chinese foreign policy positions, including territorial disputes and industrial subsidies that have flooded foreign markets with cheap exports, will likely remain friction points, experts say, while India's deep distrust of China will not dissipate because of one brief meeting.—
James Pomfret,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The biographical drama is inspired by the lives of Brazilian activist Eunice Paiva and her politician husband Rubens, who was murdered for his dissidence toward the military dictatorship of 1970s Brazil.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2025
-
If Trump’s first Presidency was characterized by widespread revolt, his second term has so far been defined by the lack of dissidence.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
The New Yorker,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
And if someone begins filming you during the potential conflict?—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The country is also the site of the Western Hemisphere’s longest-running internal armed conflict, and constitutionally requires all men between the ages of 18 and 24 to undertake some form of military service.—
Rebecca Johns,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dissent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissent. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share