variants also dissention

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun dissension contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dissension are conflict, contention, discord, strife, and variance. While all these words mean "a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony," dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions.

religious dissension threatened to split the colony

Where would conflict be a reasonable alternative to dissension?

The words conflict and dissension are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When is contention a more appropriate choice than dissension?

The synonyms contention and dissension are sometimes interchangeable, but contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy.

several points of contention about the new zoning law

When might discord be a better fit than dissension?

The words discord and dissension can be used in similar contexts, but discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism.

a political party long racked by discord

When is it sensible to use strife instead of dissension?

Although the words strife and dissension have much in common, 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

When could variance be used to replace dissension?

The meanings of variance and dissension largely overlap; however, 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dissension Obviously, discussing whether a polo shirt can be worn with a tie elicits far less dissension than ethical matters, but in both cases readers are primarily interested in entertainment, not advice. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025 Carney has committed to a major expansion of the Canadian energy sector after almost a decade of dissension between energy producers and Ottawa. David Frum, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2025 The result was the biggest dissension among Fed governors since late 1993. Jenni Reid, CNBC, 31 July 2025 The dissension in the City Council will only the make the process of agreeing on solutions to close the gap — potential new taxes, fees, service cuts or furloughs — politically tougher. A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for dissension
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissension
Noun
  • Along the way, there’s been a fair amount of discord between Schon and Cain that played out in legal filings, social media posts, and interviews.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2025
  • But that policy has been tested by Maguire’s comments, reportedly leading to discord within the firm.
    Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The season follows two Baird College students who have rekindled a tumultuous romance, but past actions and a controversy get in the way of their best intentions.
    James Powel, USA Today, 12 Nov. 2025
  • The Senate vote to temporarily reopen the government sparked intense controversy within the Democratic Party, as a small group of its senators joined Republicans in backing a deal that did not guarantee the extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, a key Democratic priority.
    Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Much of this strife, including throughout the 1967-1970 civil war and subsequent clashes over the decades, has also been closely tied to feuds across ethnic and territorial lines.
    Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Things kick off with a bit of inter-family strife, involving a young predator named Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi).
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Plus, a jury acquitted a man who threw a sandwich at a federal agent, a deli and a cookbook author are in a trademark dispute, and more.
    Li Goldstein, Bon Appetit Magazine, 7 Nov. 2025
  • While carriage disputes are nothing news, and Disney has had high-profile ones with DirecTV and Charter in recent years, the YouTube TV situation is unique.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • For the vast majority of learners, the most pressing questions are whether tuition is affordable, childcare is available, credits transfer without friction, and programs lead to real employment opportunities.
    Yolanda Watson Spiva, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
  • In Seasons 2 and 3, Eleven and Hopper experience some friction due to Hopper’s overprotective concern for Eleven’s safety; by Season 4, the characters operate in totally separate storylines and don’t share a scene until the last minutes of the season finale.
    Adam B. Vary, Variety, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • According to him, advances in machine learning have yanked questions once trapped inside theological/philosophical disputations into corporate board packs.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Jake is a single father who has brought Kristen up in the severe Calvinist tradition, marked by Bible disputations of Talmudic intricacy and by a radical detachment from secular and popular culture.
    Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2023
Noun
  • As is often the case when Arsenal and Chelsea meet, this match had the potential to be one of those gloriously uninhibited conflicts.
    Megan Feringa, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • As for South Sudan, a senior United Nations official said earlier this week that the ongoing conflict in Sudan is causing destabilization in South Sudan, including armed clashes and food insecurity.
    Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • China’s apparent surge in missile production comes as the US expends sophisticated defense systems in Ukraine and Israel, causing some ammunition shortages and sparking debate in Washington about how and where to deploy its high-end weapons.
    Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Since the advent of the transfer portal and the rise of name, image and likeness (NIL), there have been countless debates about how to create and adjust a system to establish guardrails when necessary.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dissension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissension. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

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