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 of dissident

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

Examples of dissident in a Sentence

dissident elements within the Catholic Church

Recent Examples on the Web

On July 19, Cuban artist and dissident Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara arrived in Miami after a period when his whereabouts remained unknown following his release from Guanajay Prison. — News Desk, Artforum, 21 July 2026

The dissident Bull Moose Party nominated former President Teddy Roosevelt for president after Republicans declined to do so. — USA Today, 21 July 2026

His release, however, does not mean Cuba’s crackdown on dissident artists is finally over. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 20 July 2026

In neighboring Iraq, a base of the Kurdistan Freedom Party, an Iranian Kurdish dissident group, near Irbil was struck by a drone early Sunday, wounding eight of its members, according to Rebaz Sharifi, a military official with the group. — Arkansas Online, 19 July 2026

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