dissident

[ dis-i-duhnt ]

noun

1. a person who dissents.

adjective

1. disagreeing or dissenting, as in opinion or attitude:

   a ban on dissident magazines.

dissident

/ ˈdɪsɪdənt /

adjective

1. disagreeing; dissenting

noun

1. a person who disagrees, esp one who disagrees with the government

Derived Forms

• ˈdissidently, adverb
• ˈdissidence, noun

Other Words From

• dissi·dent·ly adverb
• anti·dissi·dent noun adjective
• non·dissi·dent adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dissident¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of dissident¹

C16: from Latin dissidēre to be remote from, from dis- ¹+ sedēre to sit

Example Sentences

Abdulaziz is part of a small but influential group of Saudi dissidents that also includes such figures as Loujain al-Hathloul, the activist who last month was sentenced to nearly six more years in prison for her work on behalf of women’s rights.

From Washington Post

On Zhou’s phone, his recent WeChat posts were visible — pictures of fall foliage in the Catskills, a message celebrating the memory of the dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo.

From Washington Post

It has been operating since at least 2014 and targets private sector companies in a range of industries along with foreign governments, dissidents, and journalists in South Asia and elsewhere.

From Ars Technica

In 1989, students and dissidents had flocked to the center of Prague to protest Communism, only to be beaten and arrested by the riot police—an incident that took place during the lead up to the country's historic Velvet Revolution.

From Ars Technica

That same technique also helps activists and dissidents bypass censorship systems in their own countries.

From TechCrunch

But his account of a dissident plot involving Gambian expats using U.S. weapons is similar to what Faal told the FBI.

From The Daily Beast

Rights activists like Boledi, the Iranian Baluch dissident living in Sweden, harbor some of the same concerns.

From The Daily Beast

“He literally went underground to hold services,” Moscow-based dissident and journalist Victor Davidoff said in an email.

From The Daily Beast

But on the dissident-to-revolutionary left, the ranks are even more disorganized.

From The Daily Beast

Dissident filmmakers are routinely thrown in jail, forced to flee the country, or banned from work.

From The Daily Beast

If there are dissident elements their primary problem is within the Soviet Union.

From Project Gutenberg

But, I would doubt very much that such dissident elements would have a motive or very much of an opportunity.

From Project Gutenberg

But they were startled and alarmed by his dealings with these dissident recruits.

From Project Gutenberg

Anti-clericalism works for the benefit of the dissident sect.

From Project Gutenberg

It was established by the dissident Jews who united with the Platonists.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• protester
• rebel
• separatist