dissent

verb

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dis·sent | \ di-ˈsent

dissented; dissenting; dissents

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

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About 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 To underscore their commitment to the lie, Republicans who dissent from these lies are now pushed out of leadership roles. — Matt Ford, The New Republic, 20 May 2021 Manchin and Sinema have several reasons to dissent from their party. — Doyle Mcmanus Washington Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2021 But to align with national norms, Tracs should defend the academic freedom of those who dissent from scientific creationism. — S. Joshua Swamidass, WSJ, 4 Mar. 2021 James Miller, a conservative economics professor at the college, believes there is little opportunity to dissent to the school’s new direction. — Michael Lee, Washington Examiner, 25 Feb. 2021 The central bank operates by consensus and Fed governors rarely dissent from interest rate decisions, though Fed bank presidents do. — Andrew Taylor And Christopher Rugaber, chicagotribune.com, 18 Nov. 2020 The central bank operates by consensus and Fed governors rarely dissent from interest rate decisions, though Fed bank presidents do. — Andrew Taylor And Christopher Rugaber, chicagotribune.com, 18 Nov. 2020 The central bank operates by consensus and Fed governors rarely dissent from interest rate decisions, though Fed bank presidents do. — Andrew Taylor And Christopher Rugaber, chicagotribune.com, 18 Nov. 2020 The central bank operates by consensus and Fed governors rarely dissent from interest rate decisions, though Fed bank presidents do. — Andrew Taylor And Christopher Rugaber, chicagotribune.com, 18 Nov. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The court decision — taken almost certainly with Mr. Putin’s blessing — is bound to push the movement further underground after several months in which the Kremlin’s yearslong effort to suppress dissent had entered a more aggressive phase. — New York Times, 9 June 2021 In dissent, Judge Lawrence VanDyke said the court should have deferred to the immigration judges’ conclusion that the beatings and threats, though severe, did not amount to torture. — Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 June 2021 The move seems likely to push the resistance to Putin further underground, after several months in which the Kremlin’s yearslong effort to suppress dissent has entered a new, more aggressive phase. — BostonGlobe.com, 29 Apr. 2021 The law has emboldened Xi Jinping’s regime to suppress dissent, punish activism, and create fear withing the city’s democracy movement. — Doug Bandow, National Review, 20 Aug. 2020 When the move was announced, a lockdown was immediately imposed to suppress dissent. — Bilal Kuchay, CNN, 4 Aug. 2020 But skeptics believe it will be used to broadly suppress dissent. — Tim O'donnell, TheWeek, 20 June 2020 While bans on foreign platforms may not be imminent as some news reports suggest, the new restrictions are stoking fears that online news and dissent will be increasingly stifled. — Jane Li, Quartz, 26 May 2021 The intertwining of dissent and poetry has continued. — New York Times, 25 May 2021

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

31 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Dissent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dissent. Accessed 23 Jun. 2021.

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More Definitions for dissent

dissent

verb

English Language Learners Definition of dissent

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

dissent

noun

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

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

US, 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.