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 of dissension

• discord
• strife
• friction
• conflict
• schism
• discordance
• dissent
• war

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

In what has become a focal point of dissension among college basketball fans over the past year, the increase of teams that will now make up the postseason field passed through multiple layers to its final stage. —Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026

This would be a good way to sow dissension among your employees. —Judith Martin, Mercury News, 4 May 2026

The dissension over Valley Link reflects a larger debate over how the Bay Area should grow. —Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Apr. 2026

As the 2026 baseball season approaches, there is little dissension about Skubal and Skenes’ collective place atop the pitching hierarchy. —Andy McCullough, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2026

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