dissertation
Americannoun
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a written essay, treatise, or thesis, especially one written by a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
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any formal discourse in speech or writing.
noun
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a written thesis, often based on original research, usually required for a higher degree
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a formal discourse
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of dissertation
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin dissertātiōn-, stem of dissertātiō, equivalent to dissert + -ation
Explanation
A dissertation is a long piece of writing that uses research to bring to light an original idea. Don't go to grad school unless you're prepared to write, say, a 300-page dissertation on some topic. In everyday speech, we sometimes accuse people of delivering dissertations when they overload us with dull information. If you're annoyed with a long memo from your office manager about keeping the kitchen clean, you could mutter to a coworker, “How’d you like that dissertation Felix posted about rinsing out our mugs?”
Vocabulary lists containing dissertation
100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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The Kite Runner
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The Field Guide to the North American Teenager
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One of those employees, played by Eiza González, will make a one-scene farce of delivering a dissertation on Karl Marx while vaping.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
You could write a dissertation exploring all of the possibilities of why Dylan posted each item, and some people probably did.
From Salon • May 12, 2026
Walcott-George, who played a major role in setting up the camps and based his dissertation on the work, described the experience as deeply humbling.
From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026
She was hired by Bank of America while still working on her dissertation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
In late summer, I decided to finish my dissertation and to accept a one-year teaching assignment at Berkeley.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
