Synonyms of dissent

dissent 1 of 2

noun

1

as in discord

a lack of agreement or harmony

considerable dissent within the party's rank and file

Synonyms & Similar Words

• discord
• strife
• friction
• conflict
• war
• discordance
• schism
• discordancy
• warfare
• division
• dissidence
• dissension
• dispute
• variance
• clash
• hostility
• dissonance
• disunity
• infighting
• disagreement
• altercation
• disharmony
• disunion
• argument
• contention
• divide
• debate
• disaccord
• inharmony
• fight
• competition
• collision
• fissure
• quarrel
• brawl
• spat
• inconsistency
• squabble
• animosity
• falling-out
• bicker
• antagonism
• incongruity
• enmity
• rancor
• tiff
• incongruence
• run-in
• antipathy
• incompatibility
• ill will
• cold war
• row
• wrangle
• scrap
• jar
• incongruousness
• mix-up
• miff
• hassle
• inconsistence
• inconsonance
• inharmoniousness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• agreement
• peace
• harmony
• accord
• cooperation
• concurrence
• concord
• concordance

2

as in dissidence

departure from a generally accepted theory, opinion, or practice

the church reacted to any form of dissent by promptly excommunicating its proponents

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dissidence
• heresy
• nonconformity
• error
• schism
• heterodoxy
• discord
• defection
• myth
• deviation
• disagreement
• misconception
• apostasy
• deviance
• fallacy
• sectarianism
• dissension
• separatism
• iconoclasm
• scission
• falsehood
• misbelief
• unconventionality
• infidelity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• conformity
• orthodoxy
• agreement
• conformation
• conventionality

dissent

2 of 2

verb

di-ˈsent 

as in to disagree

to have a different opinion

anyone who dissented was encouraged to speak out while they had the chance

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disagree
• object
• differ
• protest
• conflict
• take issue
• nonconcur
• debate
• resist
• argue
• contrast
• oppose
• clash
• counter
• contest
• dispute
• collide
• quarrel
• fall out
• bicker

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• concur
• agree
• assent
• accept
• consent
• comply
• acquiesce
• defer
• subscribe
• accede
• compromise
• cooperate
• affiliate
• get along
• collaborate
• associate
• side
• ally
• come round
• collude

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dissent

Noun

In a 40-minute speech to the UN General Assembly, Netanyahu brought up Starlink while criticizing Iran’s efforts to silence dissent by shutting down access to the internet earlier this year. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 24 Sep. 2026

In his dissent, Scalia argued that the ESA was written narrowly to prohibit the intentional hunting and killing of vulnerable animals, not to broadly protect species at the population level. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026

Verb

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. — Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026

However, the current leadership at Health and Human Services has demonstrated an intolerance for internal dissenting dialogue — a significant impediment to rapid course correction. — Daniel Jernigan, STAT, 26 Sep. 2026