dissertation

[dis-er-tey-shuh n]

See more synonyms for dissertation on Thesaurus.com

noun

a written essay, treatise, or thesis, especially one written by a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
any formal discourse in speech or writing.

Origin of dissertation

1605–15; < Latin dissertātiōn- (stem of dissertātiō), equivalent to dissertāt(us) (past participle of dissertāre; dissert- (see dissert) + -ātus -ate¹) + -iōn- -ion

Related formsdis·ser·ta·tion·al, adjectivedis·ser·ta·tion·ist, noun

Can be confuseddissertation thesis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for dissertation

essay, treatise, monograph, argumentation, discourse, exposition, disquisition, disputation, critique, commentary, memoir, tractate

Examples from the Web for dissertation

Contemporary Examples of dissertation

In her dissertation, McFate had asked whether ‘good anthropology’ might lead to ‘better killing.’
Send in the Marines—and the Anthropologists too?
John Kael Weston
August 23, 2013
Heritage has distanced itself from Richwine and his dissertation.
Immigrants’ IQ Lower, Wrote Coathor of Heritage Foundation Report
Jamelle Bouie
May 9, 2013
His hilarious parody-fable, “A Dissertation Upon Roast Pig,” traces the supposed genesis of that culinary delicacy.
Phillip Lopate’s Book Bag: The Essay Tradition
Phillip Lopate
February 5, 2013
It seems to me that every book reminds me of writing a dissertation.
Barbara Kingsolver: How I Write
Noah Charney
December 5, 2012
He surely was only offering to help out a student with her dissertation when he gave her his card.
Paula Broadwell, FBI Agent?
Michael Daly
November 16, 2012

Historical Examples of dissertation

It is the aim of the present dissertation to accomplish this.
The Dramatic Values in Plautus
Wilton Wallace Blancke
And accordingly they stand beyond the range of this dissertation.
The Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 10, No. 58, August, 1862
Various
He was not in the mood to listen to a dissertation on a text taken from Foul Play.
The Portygee
Joseph Crosby Lincoln
We have already mentioned this subject in the Dissertation on Apparitions.
The Phantom World
Augustin Calmet
The author had foreseen this objection from the beginning of his dissertation.
The Phantom World
Augustin Calmet

British Dictionary definitions for dissertation

dissertation

noun

a written thesis, often based on original research, usually required for a higher degree
a formal discourse

Derived Formsdissertational, adjectivedissertationist, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for dissertation

1610s, "discussion, debate," from Latin dissertationem (nominative dissertatio) "discourse," noun of action from past participle stem of dissertare "debate, argue, examine, harangue," frequentative of disserere "discuss, examine," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + serere "to arrange words" (see series). Sense of "formal, written treatise" is 1650s.