dissent

verb

dis·sent | \di-ˈsent

Definition of dissent

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to withhold assent or approval

2 : to differ in opinion Three of the justices dissented from the majority opinion.

dissent

noun

Definition of dissent (Entry 2 of 2)

: difference of opinion heard voices of dissent at the meeting : such as

a : religious nonconformity permitted no dissent from church teachings

b law : a justice's nonconcurrence with a decision of the majority cited an earlier case in her dissent

— called also dissenting opinion

c : political opposition to a government or its policies attempts to suppress domestic dissent

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Examples of dissent in a Sentence

Verb

The Supreme Court, with two justices dissenting, ruled that the law was constitutional. anyone who dissented was encouraged to speak out while they had the chance

Noun

Church leaders permitted no dissent from church teachings. He did everything in his power to suppress political dissent. These dissents come from prominent scientists and should not be ignored. She argued in her dissent that Congress had exceeded its authority.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Independent review is important because dissenting shareholders would almost certainly go to court to challenge the deal. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Tesla board is reportedly in the dark about buyout—that’s not normal," 10 Aug. 2018 Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald ruled that blocking critics for voicing dissenting political views breached First Amendment rights. — David Hernandez, sandiegouniontribune.com, "National City mayor blocks critic on Facebook, gets sued," 29 May 2018 The Mann Act purported to prevent human trafficking for the purpose of prostitution, but critics have argued it was applied inconsistently to criminalize African Americans and those with dissenting political views. — Jennifer Hansler, CNN, "Trump posthumously pardons heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson," 24 May 2018 For example, practices of ousting or shunning members who have dissenting views, a blanket refusal to participate in politics and government as well as not celebrating Christmas or birthdays are all things that the special will reportedly cover. — Tyler Mccarthy, Fox News, "Leah Remini to tackle Jehovah's Witnesses in new special following 'Kevin Can Wait' cancellation," 22 May 2018 The report was accompanied by the Democrats' dissenting minority views, detailed in a 98-page document. — Olivia Gazis, CBS News, "Inside Republicans' House Intel report finding "no evidence" of Trump campaign collusion," 28 Apr. 2018 Comparing the Muslim ban to the internment of Japanese-Americans by the government during World War II, Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented from the majority’s decision. — Chase Strangio, Teen Vogue, "The Supreme Court Has Long Been a Tool of Oppression," 3 July 2018 Broadcasters have also reduced live programming to allow time to edit out dissenting opinion, these reporters say. — Saeed Shah, WSJ, "Pakistan Media Says It’s Targeted in Army’s ‘Systematic, Creeping, Coup’," 26 June 2018 Seeing dissenting information from Britannica could start a conversation. — Ally Marotti, chicagotribune.com, "Google results aren't always accurate. Encyclopaedia Britannica's new Chrome extension could help.," 8 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Two years ago, Kennedy joined the liberals to uphold a limited affirmative action plan at the University of Texas, with the chief justice in dissent. — David G. Savage, latimes.com, "Supreme Court this year gave a preview of things to come: Wins for Trump, employers and Republicans," 1 July 2018 In dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote of the big impact of the decision. — Mark Sherman, Anchorage Daily News, "Supreme Court deals big setback to labor unions," 27 June 2018 Though the decision in the case was 5-4, the justices did not split along ideological lines, with two conservative justices joining three liberal justices in the majority and Kagan, a liberal, joining three conservatives in dissent. — Jessica Gresko, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Supreme Court gives Florida narrow win in water fight with Georgia," 27 June 2018 In dissent, Kennedy wrote that GPS devices provide much more precise location information than do cell towers. — Adam Liptak, BostonGlobe.com, "Supreme Court says warrants generally needed to collect cellphone location data," 23 June 2018 The chief justice parted ways with the court's four other conservatives, who were all in dissent. — Jan Crawford, CBS News, "Carrying a cellphone creates a "historical log" of movements, privacy expert says," 22 June 2018 The real reason Mr Harmon and thousands of other Ohioans were dropped from the rolls, Justice Breyer wrote in dissent, was their decision to sit out a few elections. — The Economist, "A divided Supreme Court strikes a blow for lower election turnouts," 14 June 2018 Abbas has also exposed cases of torture and has been critical of a continuing crackdown on dissent. — Sarah El Sirgany, CNN, "Famous Egyptian blogger arrested in widening crackdown on dissent," 23 May 2018 In dissent, Justice Rebecca Bradley goes a step further. — Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin Supreme Court says permit needed to carry loaded gun in car," 10 Apr. 2018

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

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Last Updated

19 Nov 2018

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The first known use of dissent was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for dissent

dissent

verb

English Language Learners Definition of dissent

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to publicly disagree with an official opinion, decision, or set of beliefs

dissent

noun

English Language Learners Definition of dissent (Entry 2 of 2)

: public disagreement with an official opinion, decision, or set of beliefs

law : a statement by a judge giving reasons why the judge does not agree with the decision made by the other judges in a court case

See the full definition for dissent in the English Language Learners Dictionary

dissent

verb

dis·sent | \di-ˈsent

dissented; dissenting

Kids Definition of dissent

(Entry 1 of 2)

: disagree sense 1 Mom suggested eating out, but Dad dissented.

dissent

noun

Kids Definition of dissent (Entry 2 of 2)

: difference of opinion The class voted without dissent for a field trip.

dissent

intransitive verb

dis·sent | \di-ˈsent

Legal Definition of dissent

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to withhold assent or approval unfair squeezeout transactions—the kind to which public shareholders seem most likely to dissent— R. C. Clark — see also appraisal

Note: A shareholder who dissents from a proposed transaction may demand that the corporation buy his or her shares after an appraisal.

2 : to differ in opinion especially : to disagree with a majority opinion three of the justices dissented — compare concur