as in dissenting
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices
dissident elements within the Catholic Church
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Recent Examples of dissident
Azadeh Moaveni, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
The dissident German contingent published their impressions of the Situationist conference in their own journal, SPUR, a much more fanciful tale than the serious French account.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Shibani Mahtani, NPR, 26 Feb. 2026
But the Iranian government successfully crushed the unrest, and arrests and abuse of dissidents continue.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dissident
Adjective
And anyone who dares to peek behind the curtain—journalists, dissident professors, activists, even, bizarrely, the Iranian president himself—becomes a threat to the regime.
—Azadeh Moaveni, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
The dissident German contingent published their impressions of the Situationist conference in their own journal, SPUR, a much more fanciful tale than the serious French account.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
Beijing has long deployed such tactics against overseas Chinese dissidents as well as the Uyghur and Tibetan diaspora, whose family members still within reach of Chinese authorities have been detained, harassed and intimidated.
—Shibani Mahtani, NPR, 26 Feb. 2026
But the Iranian government successfully crushed the unrest, and arrests and abuse of dissidents continue.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dissident
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissident
Adjective
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Board member Renee Paschall cast the lone dissenting vote on the final package.—
Elizabeth Sander,
San Antonio Express-News,
19 Aug. 2022
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The document runs to more than a hundred and fifty pages, and for each question there are affirmative and dissenting studies, as well as some that indicate mixed results.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
3 June 2022
Noun
-
Board member Kevin Lynch was the lone dissenter, and there was no board discussion on the topic besides clarifying questions on the motion.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Feb. 2026
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One of those dissenters was the linguist Mark Liberman, who lambasted the word numerous times over the years in his blog Language Log.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Crawford modeled a plunging pinstripe vest featuring an unconventional wrap closure, pairing it with matching trousers.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The two strike up a somewhat unconventional romance after meeting on Christmas in Colin’s local pub wherein their first date involves a back-alley blowjob and little conversation.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Gehlfuss' rigid, rule-following Bill Goodman serves as a foil to Colin's renegade, acting as an FBI liaison to the CIA.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
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Clad in red, white and black, the renegade scientist’s sartorial inspiration is not bound to a single era.—
Emma Fraser,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The design was by aviation legend Burt Rutan, known for his bold and often maverick creations.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN,
27 Jan. 2023
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Sinema has modeled her political approach on the maverick style of the late Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who alienated the grassroots of his party by sometimes crossing the aisle to work with Democrats.—
Time,
Time,
23 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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Once ridiculed and dismissed for his nonconformist views on vaccines, nutrition, and exercise, Kennedy now leads a vast legion of followers and acolytes.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
17 Jan. 2026
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As such, the city takes on its own distinctively sooty, nonconformist character.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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There’s an iconoclastic aspect to her as well, suggesting a challenge to the gods and nature in figuration that is ultimately rejected.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
27 Feb. 2026
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The film’s official synopsis is a quote attributed to the iconoclastic filmmaker.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Drunkenness, like madness, protects the messengers of heretical truth from disbelief, disdain, and retaliation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
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This heretical policy gets some support from yet another rigid convention, that of credits, which separates directors from screenwriters.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dissident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissident. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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