dissented; dissenting; dissents
1
: to withhold assent or approval
2
: to differ in opinion
Three of the justices dissented from the majority opinion.
: 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
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
Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
The state has denied him, something Justice Sonia Sotomayor condemned in a dissenting opinion joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
Andrew Weinstein, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
Ivorians are preparing to vote in presidential elections on Saturday amid rising tensions over the exclusion of opposition candidates and a government crackdown on dissent that has led to the arrest of more than 200 protesters this month.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissent
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Verb
Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented to Alabama's use of nitrogen gas in the execution.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
The state has denied him, something Justice Sonia Sotomayor condemned in a dissenting opinion joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
The campaign to defund the arts, capture our museums, and rewrite our history is a prelude to silencing dissent itself.
—Andrew Weinstein, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
Ivorians are preparing to vote in presidential elections on Saturday amid rising tensions over the exclusion of opposition candidates and a government crackdown on dissent that has led to the arrest of more than 200 protesters this month.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissent
Cite this Entry
“Dissent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dissent. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
dissent
1 of 2 intransitive verb
dis·sent
di-ˈsent 
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
R. C. ClarkNote: 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
dissenter
noun
dissent
2 of 2 noun1
: difference of opinion
especially
: a judge's disagreement with the decision of the majority
2
: dissenting opinion at opinion
3
: the judge or group of judges that dissent compare majority
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