dissident
Americannoun
adjective
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dissident
1525–35; < Latin dissident- (stem of dissidēns, present participle of dissidēre to sit apart), equivalent to dis- dis- 1 + -sid- (combining form of sed- repair 1 ) + -ent- -ent
Explanation
If you are a dissident, you are a person who is rebelling against a government. Dissidents can do their work peacefully or with violence. Dissident is closely related to the word, dissent, which means objecting. People who are dissidents show their dissent. Catholic priests who advocate allowing women into the priesthood could be called dissidents, as could the Puritans who left England to live in colonial America. As an adjective, a dissident member of a group is one who disagrees with the majority of members.
Vocabulary lists containing dissident
Power Prefix: dis-
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Refugee
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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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.
Once the New York branch was established, a leading officer in China requested that Lu assist her in pursuing a Chinese political dissident who was in California.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
He is considered to be Colombia's most powerful dissident rebel leader.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
Then, consider the philosophical gap: For instance, Ai is a dissident whose criticism of the Chinese government led to his imprisonment for 81 days in 2011, without any formal charges brought against him.
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026
"In other words, he's not a classic dissident," he says.
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026
“It’s about this meg normal guy, who doesn’t think about anything until one wacky day, when he meets a dissident with a heart of gold.”
From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson
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.
