dissident 1 of 2

adjective

ˈdi-sə-dənt How to pronounce dissident (audio)
Definition of dissidentnext
as in dissenting
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices dissident elements within the Catholic Church

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dissident

2 of 2

noun

as in dissenter
a person who believes, teaches, or advocates something opposed to accepted beliefs the conference drew political dissidents of every ilk

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dissident
Adjective
The film, which runs at a staggering 165 minutes, took dissident director Khrzhanovsky two decades to make. — Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026 Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei was set to build the wall. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
Old debates The debate echoes criticism once aimed at Oswaldo Payá, the Catholic dissident and Rosa Maria Payá’s father, who spent two decades drafting transition plans from his Havana home. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026 The best brokers, based outside Myanmar, secure real passports, even for dissidents on the blacklist like Hnin Aye, primarily through connections in the relevant junta ministries. — Andrew Nachemson, The Dial, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dissident
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissident
  1. dissenting
  2. dissenter
  3. unconventional
  4. renegade
  5. maverick
  6. nonconformist
  7. iconoclastic
  8. heretical
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
Noun
  • Several top critics in Britain and Australia were notably warm towards the film, though both countries, certainly, had dissenters as well.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Those surveyed also correctly predicted the dissenters to the decision.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of dissenter
Adjective
  • From betting on Barbie to giving a café barista a shot, Kreiz has repeatedly embraced unconventional people and ideas.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In 2001, the architecture critic and scholar Robin Middleton bought a former tile factory on East 13th Street and remodeled it to match his unconventional life.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of unconventional
Noun
  • Niger’s ruling junta survived its most serious internal challenge since the 2023 coup after renegade soldiers mutinied in Niamey and Russian Africa Corps fighters helped presidential guards retake a key airbase.
    — Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In some ways, there is a strange kind of unity to these three—all are set during the Depression, all feature stylish renegades.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of renegade
Adjective
  • The design was by aviation legend Burt Rutan, known for his bold and often maverick creations.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN, 27 Jan. 2023
  • But the true landmark was Pierre Balmain’s Vent Vert, created by maverick female perfumer Germaine Cellier (also the mastermind behind Robert Piguet’s showstopping Fracas) in 1947.
    — Town & Country, Town & Country, 19 Dec. 2022
Definition of maverick
Adjective
  • This dogmatic approach to revolutionary citizenship led to the horrible treatment of any perceived as nonconformist, such as LGBTQ people, hippies or punks.
    — Juan Carlos Albarran, The Conversation, 13 July 2026
  • In the end, Levine’s profile of the nonconformist genius reveals just how superb a dancer Cole was.
    — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Definition of nonconformist
Adjective
  • Golden, who is no stranger to voting against his party, has taken an iconoclastic approach to his last months in Congress by repeatedly backing Republican procedural votes.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Within years, the iconoclastic comic was a weary and defeated man — broke, baggy-eyed, and prematurely old.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of iconoclastic
Adjective
  • This salad was a bit heretical—a hybridization of Roman puntarelle dressing and Venetian radicchios.
    — Tamar Adler, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Bell stars as heretic priest John Ball, while Garfield portrays a character called Ploughman, a grieving farmer who unintentionally finds himself in a leadership position.
    — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of heretical

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Cite this Entry

“Dissident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissident. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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