dissension

noun dis·sen·sion \ di-ˈsen(t)-shən \

variants: or less commonly dissention

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

Definition of dissension

: disagreement; especially : partisan and contentious quarreling

causing dissension within the police department

a colony threatened by religious dissension

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Examples of dissension in a Sentence

The incident has caused a lot of dissension within the police department.
Religious dissension threatened to split the colony.

Recent Examples of dissension from the Web

At the Paris show in particular, there’s dissension in the crowd: The audience’s squalling cries are often difficult to decipher (grateful catharsis?

— jon pareles, New York Times, "The Playlist: Shawn Mendes Shows His Scars, and 9 More New Songs," 23 Mar. 2018
But last summer, after dissension from ultra-Orthodox members of his government, Netanyahu reneged on the deal, a move that left many American Jews feeling insulted and abandoned by Israel’s ruling coalition.

— ruth eglash, Washington Post, "Western Wall rabbi apologizes for gender segregation during Pence visit but says rules won’t change," 29 Jan. 2018
The White House insists Shulkin left his job willingly in the face of the ethics scandal and dissension within his agency’s ranks.

— emily stewart, Vox, "David Shulkin says he was fired. The White House says he quit.," 2 Apr. 2018
In some programs, such a vast pool of talent could stir dissension, but chemistry wards off those disruptions, a byproduct of a championship mindset, Marcum explained, which every player had to define in writing prior to spring training.

— rich torres, Indianapolis Star, "Dominant New Palestine softball hopes 'championship mindset' leads to repeat," 29 Mar. 2018
Rumors had been swirling for weeks about Shulkin's future amid investigations into alleged spending abuses and reports of internal dissension at the VA.

— samuel chamberlain, Fox News, "Trump looks to replace David Shulkin with Adm. Ronny Jackson as Veterans Affairs secretary," 29 Mar. 2018
While violence is growing in Iran as the protesters clash with security forces, there are few signs at this point of any real dissension or defection among Iranian security forces.

— marc lynch, Washington Post, "What are the lessons of the Arab uprisings for Iran’s protests?," 2 Jan. 2018
Few of the Democrats named by Warren wanted to comment publicly on dissension within the caucus.

— washington post, BostonGlobe.com, "Senate passes rollback of post-financial crisis banking rules," 15 Mar. 2018
Forbes' sources say so Given the polarized response to Jurich’s firing, a certain amount of dissension is to be expected.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville search committee looks like it may have already found its man in Vince Tyra," 22 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dissension.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of dissension

Middle English, from Anglo-French discension, from Latin dissension-, dissensio, from dissentire — see ¹dissent

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

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dissension Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of dissension

discord, strife, conflict, contention, dissension, variance mean a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony. discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism.