dissent

American  

[dih-sent] / dɪˈsɛnt /

verb (used without object)

• dissents,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dissented,
  past participle,  past
• dissenting
  present participle

1. to differ in sentiment or opinion, especially from the majority; withhold assent; disagree (often followed byfrom ).

   Two of the justices dissented from the majority decision.

2. to disagree with the methods, goals, etc., of a political party or government; take an opposing view.

3. to disagree with or reject the doctrines or authority of an established church.

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noun

1. difference of sentiment or opinion.

   Synonyms:

   opposition, dissatisfaction, disagreement

2. dissenting opinion.

3. disagreement with the philosophy, methods, goals, etc., of a political party or government.

   Synonyms:

   opposition, dissatisfaction, disagreement

4. separation from an established church, especially the Church of England; nonconformity.

dissent British  

/ dɪˈsɛnt /

verb

1. to have a disagreement or withhold assent

2. Christianity to refuse to conform to the doctrines, beliefs, or practices of an established church, and to adhere to a different system of beliefs and practices

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noun

1. a difference of opinion

2. Christianity separation from an established church; Nonconformism

3. the voicing of a minority opinion in announcing the decision on a case at law; dissenting judgment

Usage

What's the difference between dissent and descent? Dissent can be a noun meaning disagreement, as in I voiced my dissent, or a verb meaning to disagree, as in The judge is expected to dissent. Descent is a noun that means the act of moving downward (descending), a downward movement, or downward movement in general. The two words are pronounced exactly the same. Perhaps the best way to remember the difference between the two is to think about what related words mean and how they’re spelled. Words related to dissent involve agreement or disagreement and end with -sent, including assent and consent. Words related to descent involve movement and are spelled with sc, including descend, ascent, ascension, and transcend. Here’s an example of dissent and descent used correctly in a sentence. Example: There was dissent among the climbers about whether they should attempt the descent during the storm.

Synonym Usage

Dissent, dissidence mean disagreement with the majority opinion. Dissent may express either withholding of agreement or open disagreement. Dissidence, formerly much the same as dissent, has come to suggest not only strong dissatisfaction but a determined opposition.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dissenter
  noun
• dissenting
  adjective
• nondissenting
  adjective
• undissenting
  adjective
• dissentingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• dissenting
  present
• dissented
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• dissent
  simple
• dissents
  simple
• have dissented
  perfect
• has dissented
  perfect
• am dissenting
  progressive
• are dissenting
  progressive
• is dissenting
  progressive
• have been dissenting
  perfect progressive
• has been dissenting
  perfect progressive

Past

• dissented
  simple
• had dissented
  perfect
• was dissenting
  progressive
• were dissenting
  progressive
• had been dissenting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will dissent
  simple
• will have dissented
  perfect
• will be dissenting
  progressive
• will have been dissenting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of dissent

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English dissenten, from Middle French dissentir, from Latin dissentīre, from dis- dis- ¹ + sentīre “to feel”

Explanation

To dissent is to publicly disagree with an official opinion or decision. Dissent is also a noun referring to public disagreement. Both verb and noun are often used in reference to a statement by a judge who disagrees with a decision made by other judges. Dissent is also used to refer to political opposition to government policies. The verb derives from Middle English, from Latin dissentire, from the prefix dis- "apart" plus sentire "to feel."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dissent dissents dissented dissenting

Public shows of dissent have been suppressed by wartime censorship laws and can trigger hefty fines or long prison sentences.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

And in its zeal to purge the newsroom of dissent, CBS and Weiss may have inadvertently triggered the creation of their most dangerous future competitor — and accidentally set the stage for its own undoing.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026

It led three officials to dissent in favor of a rate increase at the Fed’s meeting last month, and others have more recently suggested a rate increase could be the best next move.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

“At this point, only the Supreme Court can bring uniformity and settle this question once and for all. I anticipate that it will do so soon,” Judge Diane S. Sykes wrote in her dissent.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

But the sounds of dissent were quickly drowned out.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

On a decision to hold rates, Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh will likely face 2-4 dissents, the analyst says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

"I don't expect a rate hike, but I do expect dissents," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

The only way to figure out how the justices decided is if there were dissents.

From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2026

While Kennedy did not respond to Scalia’s harsh dissents, they hung over their last year together on the court.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

Justices Black and Douglas wrote separate dissents, but each contended that the controversy was justiciable.

From The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation Annotations of Cases Decided by the Supreme Court of the United States to June 30, 1952 by Edward Samuel Corwin

At the meeting, the Fed held its benchmark interest rate steady at a range of 3.5%-3.75%, but three officials dissented in favor of a 25-basis-point increase.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

Three dissented in July in favor of higher rates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

On Wednesday, the Fed chose to keep interest rates steady despite those push factors, although three policymakers dissented and called for an immediate rate hike.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

Wednesday’s decision marked the first time that three Fed officials dissented in the same direction since September 2016.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

Only the queen's men had dissented, and then not loudly.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

The motion was approved on a 10-3 vote at Tuesday’s council meeting, with Imelda Padilla, Traci Park and Monica Rodriguez dissenting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

A dissenting judge said the ballroom project is likely acceptable under a federal statute that authorizes the president to take certain steps for the “improvement” of the executive residence at the White House.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

But there are already dissenting members within the confederations, like Bhutan, the Philippines, and the UAE within Asia, who have all backed Infantino.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

The pressure intensified after the Fed on Wednesday held its benchmark rate at 3.5% to 3.75% for a fifth consecutive meeting, with three policymakers dissenting in favor of an increase.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026

The dissenting group, it’s my privilege and headache to divulge, consists of the three featured players themselves, two female, one male.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger

Related Words

• discord
• dissension
• disunity
• objection
• opposition
• protest
• resistance
• schism
• strife