Dissent

A public or formal expression of disagreement with a policy, decision, or widely held view.

noun

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Imagine This

I disagree with my father that it is not decent to wear jeans to a formal party.

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Sounds Like

dih-SENT (rhymes with descent)

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Looks Like

Looks like 'descent' in spelling; both start with 'des' and end with 'ent'

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Remember This

In law and politics, dissent refers to expressing a different opinion; a judge's dissent is the opinion of a judge who disagrees with the majority.

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Other Forms

dissentverb

dissensionnoun

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Connect With

disagreement, opposition, objection, dispute, dissenting opinion

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Note

Dissent is a noun or verb; when used as a noun, it refers to the act of disagreeing or the expression itself; commonly followed by from or with (dissent from the majority).

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Study Deeper

Examples

There was considerable dissent from the council's decision among residents.
The majority opinion was joined by most justices, while one wrote a sharp dissent.

Synonyms

disagreementoppositiondisputeobjectionremonstrance

Antonyms

agreementconsensusassent

Etymology

From Latin dissentire 'to feel differently,' from dis- 'apart' + sens- 'to feel; sense'.

Mnemonic

Dis + sent: you send a message of disagreement to the group.

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Intricate

adjective

Very complicated or detailed; having many interrelated parts.

Mendacity

noun

The tendency to lie; a false statement or untruth.

Outmoded

adjective

No longer in fashion or current; outdated or no longer useful or relevant.

Similar Words

Related words and words with the same part of speech.

Abasement

noun

The act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.

Absurdity

noun

The quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.

Accent

noun

A distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).

Accolade

noun

An honor; a public expression of praise or an award.

Acrimony

noun

Bitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling

Acronym

noun

A word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).

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