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.
-
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
In 2024, Kobie Alexander Smith wrote his dissertation about this kind of fundraising by hospitals as part of his Degree of Doctor of Education at the University of Pennsylvania.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026
His dissertation, according to a Barron’s article in 2013, included a section on soaring house prices and their impact on consumer spending.
From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026
“We’re re-emerging in this kind of new bearded age,” said Sean Trainor, a facial-hair historian whose dissertation “Groomed for Power” examined the underpinnings of the golden age of political beards in the 19th century.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 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
When I was writing my dissertation, on Tourneur’s The Revenger’s Tragedy, I received the following letter from Francis.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
