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
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.
Critics dug out and posted his dissertation, which was pilloried by other academics for a simplistic chart that placed terrorism on a spectrum somewhere between “peacekeeping” and “thermonuclear war.”
From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026
She was hired by Bank of America while still working on her dissertation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
At university in Birmingham, he is finishing a Masters dissertation on second homes and the effectiveness of new developments in Cornwall - an issue close to his heart.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
She wrote her dissertation about serial killers decades ago, and as an author gravitates to storytelling about marginalized women.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026
Identifying these surprising and provocative themes was a breakthrough, but the Times is not in the dissertation business.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
