as in debate
variance of opinion on a matter
a democracy relies on dissensus as much as on consensus
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Recent Examples of dissensus
These dramas of politics — each involving the high court’s first black justice — arrive at a singularly contentious political moment in an atmosphere of angry, sometimes violent dissensus.
—
Manohla Dargis and A.o. Scott, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2017
Manohla Dargis and A.o. Scott, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissensus
Noun
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The debate comes down, inescapably, to the question of alignment.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
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Six candidates were asked to participate in the March 24 debate, which is cosponsored by ABC7 Los Angeles and Univision.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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What will become of this nursery in the wild in the next hundred years, or thousand, is the crux of a scientific and policy dispute.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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In the video, a group of young teens appeared to be in a verbal dispute before a physical altercation quickly escalated between two girls.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Khimberly’s death brings additional scrutiny to LAUSD at a time when the district is already entangled in other controversies.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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Regardless of the controversy, related technologies are rapidly entering industrial deployment.—
,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Despite the ongoing disagreements, both sides say continuing conversations is important.—
Tori Mason,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
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Over the years, my sisters and I have struggled through clashing personalities, intense disagreements and wonky power dynamics.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dissensus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissensus. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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