dissident

adjective

dis·​si·​dent ˈdi-sə-dənt 

: disagreeing especially with an established religious or political system, organization, or belief

dissident elements in the armed forces

dissident noun

Synonyms

• dissenting
• unconventional
• maverick
• heretic
• nonconformist
• iconoclastic
• heretical
• separatist
• out-there

Examples of dissident in a Sentence

dissident elements within the Catholic Church

Recent Examples on the Web

Tehran also accuses Iranian expatriates and dissident groups sympathetic to Israel of supporting logistics, communication, and funding. —Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025

Other contenders abroad include the dissident group Mujahedeen e-Khalq, more commonly known as the MEK, which has gained high-profile supporters including the former New York mayor and Trump ally Rudy Giuliani. —Alexander Smith, NBC news, 25 June 2025

Palacios served as the secretary of Todos Unidos, All United, a coalition of dissident groups created in 1999. —Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 19 May 2025

Conversations advanced further with a FARC dissident group known as the Estado Mayor Central, of which the Dagoberto Ramos Front in Cauca is a part. —Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Affairs, 8 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin dissident-, dissidens, present participle of dissidēre to sit apart, disagree, from dis- + sedēre to sit — more at sit

First Known Use

1769, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dissident

adjective

dis·​si·​dent ˈdis-əd-ənt 

: disagreeing with an opinion or a group

dissident noun