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 food, beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, and agribusiness lobbies do not need to defeat MAHA in public debate.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
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What the candidates have said about affordability The candidates offered their ideas for making California more affordable during debates in April and May as well as on their websites.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Noun
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This did not, however, mark the end of disputation concerning the Northwest Angle.—
Scott Spires,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 Mar. 2026
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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
Noun
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In 2023, Archer settled intellectual property disputes with Boeing and its air taxi unit Wisk, and signed an agreement to collaborate on autonomous tech, and invested in the air taxi maker.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
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Carney acknowledged that while the US and Canada have had disputes, the countries have always worked through them, and that a more independent Canada makes the country a better ally.—
Reuters May 28,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Mullin is keeping them Noem had a host of controversies before her ouster.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
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The act has caused controversy.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
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The back-and-forth continued a pattern of both sides suggesting an agreement was near, before signaling disagreement over many of the same sticking points, including the fate of Iran’s uranium and nuclear ambitions as well as freedom of navigation of the critical waterway.—
Kate Sullivan,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
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However, the plan has not been formally approved by the city of San Diego, largely because of disagreements over the right of way.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dissensus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissensus. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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