1
as in discord
a lack of agreement or harmony
considerable dissent within the party's rank and file
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to disagree
to have a different opinion
anyone who dissented was encouraged to speak out while they had the chance
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dissent
Jomana Karadsheh, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Gaza showed how power brokers from the White House on down seem eager for pretexts to punish dissent in ways that create a chilling effect, and that the hottest rhetoric from activists can be exactly that pretext.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Arkansas Online, 5 Feb. 2026
Amid the current crackdown, there are grave concerns that authorities will resort to swift sham trials and arbitrary executions of the protestors, to intimidate people who might dissent.
—Hamid Kashani, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dissent
Noun
The new sentence was imposed amid a widespread crackdown on dissent in Iran following mass protests against the regime in January that have plunged the country into crisis.
—Jomana Karadsheh, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Gaza showed how power brokers from the White House on down seem eager for pretexts to punish dissent in ways that create a chilling effect, and that the hottest rhetoric from activists can be exactly that pretext.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
No justices dissented from the brief order denying the appeal without explanation.
—Arkansas Online, 5 Feb. 2026
Amid the current crackdown, there are grave concerns that authorities will resort to swift sham trials and arbitrary executions of the protestors, to intimidate people who might dissent.
—Hamid Kashani, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dissent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissent
Noun
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The proposal has sparked Democratic discord ahead of 2026’s governor’s race, though neither billionaire has explicitly blamed the effort for their actions.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Celebrate with an activity that allows for big release of energies, something athletic or competitive; a sedentary pleasure could lead to discord.—
Magi Helena,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Given that women in other countries do wear lipstick as an act of resistance today, suggesting that American feminists did so in 1912 conflates their wildly different cultural contexts, and blurs one’s sense of what constitutes public dissidence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
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The dissidence of Minneapolis reminds me of the Argentinian mothers who found themselves in an impossible situation during the military junta of the late 1970s.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office disagreed with CSUSB’s claim and gave Mesa permission to add its second bachelor’s program.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
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Typically, when the GFS and Euro disagree, forecasters stick with the Euro due to its past performance.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Beyond the looming labor strife, the regional sports network (RSN) model has been floundering for many teams.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
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The film vaguely follows the basic outline of the first half of the novel, heavily streamlining the twisted tale of family strife and generational trauma into a more conventional tragic romance centered squarely on Catherine and Heathcliff.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Any challenge to gun rights was immediate heresy, disqualifying in any measure.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
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When something is so embedded in our routines, even a small shift can feel like heresy.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Britain had split the Chagos Islands from Mauritius before that colony gained independence, something that has been a source of diplomatic friction as well as multiple legal battles with locals who were evicted.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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But a reoccurring point of friction and, really, anger on my part is over the dishwashing and laundry at our house.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Washington Post,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Similarly, the emphasis on independence and nonconformity reflects what psychologists call autonomy orientation.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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The gender nonconformity of the protagonists—all thinly disguised versions of Lee—is often obvious but never explicitly mentioned.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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His party successfully capitalized on rising nationalism fueled by a deadly border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia last year, economic woes and uncertainty over Thailand’s trade relationship with the United States, and built up a strong local support base.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Units often operate across wider areas than in past conflicts.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dissent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissent. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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