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dissertation

American  
[dis-er-tey-shuhn] / ˌdɪs ərˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. a written essay, treatise, or thesis, especially one written by a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

  2. any formal discourse in speech or writing.


dissertation British  
/ ˌdɪsəˈteɪʃən /

noun

  1. a written thesis, often based on original research, usually required for a higher degree

  2. a formal discourse

"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

Other Word Forms

  • dissertational adjective
  • dissertationist noun

Etymology

Origin of dissertation

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin dissertātiōn-, stem of dissertātiō, equivalent to dissert + -ation

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.

These outcomes raise concerns, said Giwon Bahg, who conducted the work as part of his doctoral dissertation in psychology at The Ohio State University.

From Science Daily

By chance, lawyers in the Department of Justice learned that a part of my recently completed doctoral dissertation in Indian history included a discussion of such “homestead laws.”

From Salon

She studied history and French at the University of Manchester, writing a final year dissertation on peculiar uses of photography in 19th Century Paris.

From BBC

We had a dissertation written by a professor of sociology on how the best way to govern would be.

From Los Angeles Times

The 1930s collection, which included a copy of Turing's PhD dissertation, went under the hammer in Etwall in Derbyshire on Tuesday.

From BBC