dissident

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adjective dis·si·dent \ -dənt \

Definition of dissident

:disagreeing especially with an established religious or political system, organization, or belief

dissident elements in the armed forces

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dissident

noun

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Examples of dissident in a Sentence

dissident elements within the Catholic Church

Recent Examples of dissident from the Web

A call for conformity around the country that exists — not the imaginary utopia some dissident faction seeks to build in its place.

— j. j. mccullough, National Review, "I Love America (and the Alt-Right Doesn’t)," 28 Aug. 2017
Jirina Siklova, a Czech sociologist active in the dissident Charter 77 movement, said the site remains indelibly linked to Stalin.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "In German village, church bell still tolls for Hitler," 19 Aug. 2017
Traavik notes that, unlike the communist systems of the Soviet Union and Labaich's native Yugoslavia, North Korea has no known dissident movement to speak of.

— charles maynes, USA TODAY, "Here's an idea for engaging with North Korea. Bring in a Western rock band and make a movie about it," 9 Aug. 2017
Since it was founded in 1999, ICCAS — housed at the Casa Bacardí on campus — has served as a venue for many political organizations, including members of the island’s dissident movement.

— nora gámez torres, miamiherald, "UM president to meet with exiles following controversy over center for Cuban studies," 21 July 2017
In the picture, Nobel Peace Prize-winning Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, wearing hospital clothes, and his wife each held a Pooh mug, smiling at the camera with an empty chair in the background.

— steven jiang, CNN, "Chinese internet censors crack down on ... Winnie the Pooh," 18 July 2017
In the days after the Chinese writer and dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, on Oct. 8, 2010, his country cut off trade talks with Norway, home of the Nobel committee, and placed his wife under house arrest.

— harrison smith, Alaska Dispatch News, "Liu Xiaobo, Nobel Peace Prize laureate imprisoned in China, dies at 61," 13 July 2017
Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and Chinese dissident writer, is dying of liver cancer.

— chicagotribune.com, "The Chinese think Liu Xiaobo was asking for it," 12 July 2017
Instead of joining her party in backing the president, Aksener gave voice to a dissident faction.

— jared malsin / istanbul, Time, "Turkey's 'Iron Lady' Is Getting Ready to Challenge Erdogan," 3 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dissident.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of dissident

Latin dissident-, dissidens, present participle of dissidēre to sit apart, disagree, from dis- + sedēre to sit — more at sit

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First Known Use: 1769

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dissident Synonyms

Synonyms

dissentient, dissenting, heretical, heterodox, iconoclastic, maverick, nonconformist, nonorthodox, out-there, unconventional, unorthodox

Antonyms

conforming, conformist, conventional, orthodox

Related Words

free-spirited, freethinking, nontraditional; apostate, defecting, renegade; schismatic (also schismatical), sectarian, separatist

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dissident Spanish Central: Translation of dissident Nglish: Translation of dissident for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of dissident for Arabic speakers

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dissident

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dissident

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