dissented; dissenting; dissents
1
: to withhold assent or approval
2
: to differ in opinion
Three of the justices dissented from the majority opinion.
: difference of opinion
heard voices of dissent at the meeting
: such as
a
: religious nonconformity
permitted no dissent from church teachings
b
law
: a justice's nonconcurrence with a decision of the majority
cited an earlier case in her dissent
called also dissenting opinion
c
: political opposition to a government or its policies
attempts to suppress domestic dissent
Synonyms
Examples of dissent in a Sentence
Verb
The Supreme Court, with two justices dissenting, ruled that the law was constitutional.
anyone who dissented was encouraged to speak out while they had the chance
Noun
Church leaders permitted no dissent from church teachings.
He did everything in his power to suppress political dissent.
These dissents come from prominent scientists and should not be ignored.
She argued in her dissent that Congress had exceeded its authority.
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 16 Oct. 2024
The one dissenting judge stepped down from the bar six months later, demoralized by his inability to stop the sentencing.
—Lex Harvey, CNN, 25 Sep. 2024
Shawna Chen, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024
It’s been used to mark gang turf and as a form of political dissent.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dissent 
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Verb
Meanwhile, others cynically attempt to distort any coverage of a Democratic politician as support for that candidate, strategically firing up right-wing outrage with the intention of silencing dissenting views and killing future stories.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 16 Oct. 2024
The one dissenting judge stepped down from the bar six months later, demoralized by his inability to stop the sentencing.
—Lex Harvey, CNN, 25 Sep. 2024
Noun
The board asked her to step in after voting 6-1 Friday to accept Wayne's immediate resignation — the lone vote in dissent was from Commissioner Kevine Boggess, who felt Wayne should have been fired, Mission Local reports.
—Shawna Chen, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024
It’s been used to mark gang turf and as a form of political dissent.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dissent
Articles Related to dissent
Dictionary Entries Near dissent
Cite this Entry
“Dissent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dissent. Accessed 6 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
dissent
1 of 2 intransitive verb
dis·sent
di-ˈsent 
1
: to withhold assent or approval
unfair squeezeout transactions—the kind to which public shareholders seem most likely to dissent—R. C. Clark
see also appraisal
R. C. ClarkNote: A shareholder who dissents from a proposed transaction may demand that the corporation buy his or her shares after an appraisal.
2
: to differ in opinion
dissenter
noun
dissent
2 of 2 noun1
: difference of opinion
especially
: a judge's disagreement with the decision of the majority
2
: dissenting opinion at opinion
3
: the judge or group of judges that dissent compare majority
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