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 1988, Parr joined Magnum Photos as an associate member and was admitted as a full member in 1994, achieving the necessary two-thirds majority by a single vote, owing to dissension among the ranks as to whether his work was too avant-garde to be considered documentary. —News Desk, Artforum, 15 Dec. 2025

Ken Burns’ latest work takes us back to a moment of great dissension and division, a moment in which Americans raged against the monarch leading them and in which any outcome seemed possible. —Daniel D'addario, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025

The letter is an important show of support after there was some dissension among conference leaders. —Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025

O’Brien joins the likes of Kimmel’s late-night peers Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and Jon Stewart in voicing his dissension about Disney’s move to park Jimmy Kimmel Live! —Peter White, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025

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