dissentient 1 of 2

adjective

di-ˈsen(t)-sh(ē-)ənt How to pronounce dissentient (audio)
Definition of dissentientnext
as in dissident
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices the communist party did not look favorably on dissentient opinions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dissentient

2 of 2

noun

as in dissenter
a person who believes, teaches, or advocates something opposed to accepted beliefs traditionalists who feared that their church was falling into the hands of dissentients and malcontents

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissentient
  1. dissident
  2. dissenter
  3. dissenting
  4. unconventional
Adjective
  • Stötzer nevertheless circulated the text as samizdat, setting her own testimony against the Stasi’s record of her activities—much as the dissident writer Jürgen Fuchs had done in his 1977 text Gedächtnisprotokolle (Memory Protocols).
    — Elisa R. Linn, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Projects must be led by LGBTQ+ directors and screenwriters, or by professionals whose dissident gender identities and expressions inform their creative perspectives.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of dissident
Noun
  • The Basij boosted its presence during the war, and hard-liners have held nightly rallies in Tehran and other cities, drumming up support and intimidating any possible dissenters.
    — Lee Keath, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Since joining the court in 2022, Jackson has become a prolific and passionate dissenter, unafraid to criticize the conservative majority even when her fellow liberal justices do not always join her.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of dissenter
Adjective
  • The Fed’s interest rate-setting committee is divided and saw the most dissenting votes in more than three decades last month.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 May 2026
  • Board member Renee Paschall cast the lone dissenting vote on the final package.
    — Elizabeth Sander, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Aug. 2022
Definition of dissenting
Adjective
  • Screening the electron interactions weakened and ultimately eliminated superconductivity, supporting an unconventional mechanism for electron pairing.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Inspired by the unconventional materials and craftsmanship of studio jewelry, the couple fell in love with art jewelry as collectible material culture.
    — Livia Caligor, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of unconventional
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.

Browse Nearby Words

dissent (from)
dissentient
dissentients
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dissentient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissentient. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All