dissenter

American  

[dih-sen-ter] / dɪˈsɛn tər /

noun

1. a person who dissents, as from an established church, political party, or majority opinion.

2. (sometimes initial capital letter) an English Protestant who dissents from the Church of England.

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Dissenter British  

/ dɪˈsɛntə /

noun

1. Christianity a Nonconformist or a person who refuses to conform to the established church

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Etymology

Origin of dissenter

First recorded in 1630–40; dissent + -er ¹

Explanation

A dissenter is someone who disagrees with commonly held opinions or beliefs. Except for one dissenter (your brother who dislikes amusement parks), everyone in your family is looking forward to going to Disneyland next summer. If the U.S. Supreme Court makes a decision that's supported by eight of the Justices, the one Justice who disagrees with the ruling is a dissenter. This word is also used to mean "protester," or someone who stands up and takes action against a law or policy. In the 17th century, dissenter was used for someone who disagreed with a religious belief or doctrine.

Example Sentences

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the lone dissenter, frames Colorado’s law as prohibiting merely “a dangerous therapy modality that, incidentally, involves provider speech.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

The other dissenter, Kanas City Fed chief Jeffrey Schmid, said “inflation remains too high.”

From MarketWatch • Dec. 12, 2025

Otherwise, the dissenter could thwart the majority’s will by dragging their feet to run out the clock.

From Slate • Nov. 20, 2025

He was the sole dissenter at the Fed’s September meeting, arguing for a half-percentage-point cut.

From Barron's • Oct. 12, 2025

The occasional dissenter accuses me of betraying my fellow officers and being a rat, asserting that “what goes on in corrections should stay in corrections.”

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Related Words

• protester
• skeptic