dissent

verb

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

Other Words from 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

The internet winked off this week across the capital, a once-common act to control dissenting voices. — Elias Meseret, Fox News, "Ethiopia's stunning reforms now challenged by deadly unrest," 19 Sep. 2018 Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor dissented. — Justin Sayers, The Courier-Journal, "Supreme Court just ruled a ban on sports betting is unconstitutional," 14 May 2018 Misra met with the dissenting judges, who continued on the bench. — Ashok Sharma, Fox News, "India chief justice's new decision strikes down adultery law," 28 Sep. 2018 Six judges voted to deny the industry's petition for a rehearing, while Kavanaugh was among two dissenting judges. — Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, "Trump’s Supreme Court pick: ISPs have 1st Amendment right to block websites," 10 July 2018 Meanwhile, dissenting Justice David Wecht had other thoughts. — Janine Puhak, Fox News, "Philadelphia’s soda tax upheld by Pennsylvania Supreme Court," 18 July 2018 The panel’s Democrats dissented from the report issued by the GOP majority, saying that major lines of inquiry went unexplored. — WSJ, "New House Committee Chiefs Take Their Chairs," 4 Jan. 2019 Patricia Millet, the third member of the DC Circuit panel and an Obama appointee, dissented strenuously. — Dylan Matthews, Vox, "Brett Kavanaugh likely gives the Supreme Court the votes to overturn Roe. Here’s how they’d do it.," 5 Oct. 2018 As Fox News previously reported, Kavanaugh ultimately dissented in Seven-Sky v. Holder, a challenge to the Affordable Care Act. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Fox News, "Kavanaugh's staunch gun-rights defense among hundreds of decisions in spotlight," 10 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The junta instead delayed polls five times, suppressing dissent and outlawing... — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Thailand’s Dictator-Democrats," 21 Mar. 2019 State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert says the U.S. wants Russia to release them immediately and stop using its legal system to suppress dissent and peaceful religious practice. — Josh Lederman, Fox News, "US urges Russia to release political, religious prisoners," 18 June 2018 Among the biggest challenges will be attempts to address complaints against security services, which are widely reviled by the Oromos for their role in suppressing dissent. — Paul Schemm, BostonGlobe.com, "Ethiopia chooses new leader," 29 Mar. 2018 The acts are narrated by the chorus of townspeople, who tell the story of the boy who is killed at a protest that takes the form of a puppet show, which immediately establishes theater as a space for dissent. — Sarah Neilson, The Seattle Times, "Ilya Kaminsky’s ‘Deaf Republic’ challenges and incites," 29 Mar. 2019 Ginsburg has modified her judicial wardrobe over the years with a polite, yet effective hand, mirroring her careful adjudication style (she is known for her meticulous dissents). — Marley Marius, Vogue, "Happy Birthday, Ruth Bader Ginsberg! An Ode to the Supreme Court Justice and Her Iconic Accessorizing," 15 Mar. 2019 Two months on, and police have shown less tolerance for dissent and last week beat unauthorized protesters in the street. — James Ellingworth, Fox News, "Two months after WCup final, Russia police no longer relaxed," 15 Sep. 2018 Ronaldo is 33, still capable of scoring productively for club and country and howling into a referee’s face after receiving a yellow card for dissent. — Christopher Clarey, New York Times, "Messi Exits the World Cup. Hours Later, So Does Ronaldo.," 1 July 2018 The longer people continued, the more the crowd began to grumble, with some people yelling their dissent. — Melissa Davlin, idahostatesman, "Republicans navigate intersection of traditional values, societal change and young voices," 30 June 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

23 Apr 2019

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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)

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.