dissension

noun

dis·​sen·​sion di-ˈsen(t)-shən 

variants or less commonly dissention

: disagreement

especially : partisan and contentious quarreling

causing dissension within the police department

a colony threatened by religious dissension

Synonyms

• conflict
• disaccord
• discord
• discordance
• discordancy
• disharmony
• dissent
• dissidence
• dissonance
• disunion
• disunity
• division
• friction
• infighting
• inharmony
• schism
• strife
• variance
• war
• warfare

Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

a political party long racked by discord

strife emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved.

during his brief reign the empire was never free of civil strife

conflict usually stresses the action of forces in opposition but in static applications implies an irreconcilability as of duties or desires.

the conflict of freedom and responsibility

contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy.

several points of contention about the new zoning law

dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions.

religious dissension threatened to split the colony

variance implies a clash between persons or things owing to a difference in nature, opinion, or interest.

cultural variances that work against a national identity

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 on the Web

Our challenge, beyond putting on an indelible show, was to find a way to make our dissension clear, with dignity and creativity. —Ryan Miller, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025

There were leadership changes in the IRS and Treasury that resulted in changes to the plan, internal dissension about whether the redesign strategies would support IRS mission requirements, and redirections that caused delays. —Marie Sapirie, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025

There was no public dissention. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2025

Musk has already triggered internal dissension in the White House, with figures like Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly clashing bitterly with him at a Cabinet meeting over layoffs and government cutbacks at the State Department. —Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 13 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dissension

• attention
• contention
• convention
• declension
• detention
• dimension
• distension
• extension
• intension
• invention
• laurentian
• prehension

Kids Definition

dissension

noun

dis·​sen·​sion dis-ˈen-chən 

: disagreement in opinion : discord