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variants:
also dissention
1
a lack of agreement or harmony
- religious dissension threatened to split the colony
- conflict,
- disaccord,
- discord,
- discordance,
- discordancy,
- disharmony,
- dissent,
- dissidence,
- dissonance,
- disunion,
- disunity,
- division,
- friction,
- infighting,
- inharmony,
- schism,
- strife,
- variance,
- war,
- warfare
- falling-out,
- fight,
- hassle,
- jar,
- miff,
- mix-up,
- quarrel,
- row,
- run-in,
- scrap,
- spat,
- squabble,
- tiff,
- wrangle
2
variance of opinion on a matter
- continued dissension among historians on the exact spot of Columbus's first landing
- contestation,
- controversy,
- debate,
- difference,
- difficulty,
- disagreement,
- disputation,
- dispute,
- dissensus,
- firestorm,
- nonconcurrence
Frequently Asked Questions About dissension
How does the noun dissension contrast with its synonyms?
Some common synonyms of dissension are conflict, contention, discord, strife, and variance. While all these words mean "a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony," dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions.
religious dissension threatened to split the colony
Where would conflict be a reasonable alternative to dissension?
The words conflict and dissension are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, conflict usually stresses the action of forces in opposition but in static applications implies an irreconcilability as of duties or desires.
the conflict of freedom and responsibility
When is contention a more appropriate choice than dissension?
The synonyms contention and dissension are sometimes interchangeable, but contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy.
several points of contention about the new zoning law
When might discord be a better fit than dissension?
The words discord and dissension can be used in similar contexts, but discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism.
a political party long racked by discord
When is it sensible to use strife instead of dissension?
Although the words strife and dissension have much in common, strife emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved.
during his brief reign the empire was never free of civil strife
When could variance be used to replace dissension?
The meanings of variance and dissension largely overlap; however, variance implies a clash between persons or things owing to a difference in nature, opinion, or interest.
cultural variances that work against a national identity
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Time Traveler for dissension
The first known use of dissension was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century