dissent
Americanverb (used without object)
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to differ in sentiment or opinion, especially from the majority; withhold assent; disagree (often followed byfrom ).
Two of the justices dissented from the majority decision.
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to disagree with the methods, goals, etc., of a political party or government; take an opposing view.
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to disagree with or reject the doctrines or authority of an established church.
noun
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difference of sentiment or opinion.
- Synonyms:
- opposition, dissatisfaction, disagreement
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disagreement with the philosophy, methods, goals, etc., of a political party or government.
- Synonyms:
- opposition, dissatisfaction, disagreement
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separation from an established church, especially the Church of England; nonconformity.
verb
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to have a disagreement or withhold assent
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Christianity to refuse to conform to the doctrines, beliefs, or practices of an established church, and to adhere to a different system of beliefs and practices
noun
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a difference of opinion
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Christianity separation from an established church; Nonconformism
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the voicing of a minority opinion in announcing the decision on a case at law; dissenting judgment
Usage
What's the difference between dissent and descent? Dissent can be a noun meaning disagreement, as in I voiced my dissent, or a verb meaning to disagree, as in The judge is expected to dissent. Descent is a noun that means the act of moving downward (descending), a downward movement, or downward movement in general.The two words are pronounced exactly the same.Perhaps the best way to remember the difference between the two is to think about what related words mean and how they’re spelled. Words related to dissent involve agreement or disagreement and end with -sent, including assent and consent.Words related to descent involve movement and are spelled with sc, including descend, ascent, ascension, and transcend.Here’s an example of dissent and descent used correctly in a sentence.Example: There was dissent among the climbers about whether they should attempt the descent during the storm.
Related Words
Dissent, dissidence mean disagreement with the majority opinion. Dissent may express either withholding of agreement or open disagreement. Dissidence, formerly much the same as dissent, has come to suggest not only strong dissatisfaction but a determined opposition.
Other Word Forms
- dissenter noun
- dissenting adjective
- dissentingly adverb
- nondissenting adjective
- undissenting adjective
Etymology
Origin of dissent
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English dissenten, from Middle French dissentir, from Latin dissentīre, from dis- dis- 1 + sentīre “to feel”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Greenpeace categorically rejects the accusations, denouncing the proceedings as abusive and a means to silence dissent.
From Barron's
But the Shah was a problematic figure, obscene in his displays of wealth and ruthless in his suppression of dissent.
“I didn’t do that lightly,” he said, reflecting on his dissent.
That uncertainty helps explain the recent rise in dissents over interest-rate divisions among Fed officials, which he said was healthy.
From Barron's
Goolsbee was one of two Fed officials to dissent against December’s rate cut in favor of holding rates steady instead.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
