dissent

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law Formal · Technical

n. a statement written by a judge who disagrees with the majority of the other judges in a court case.

n. a formal legal opinion written by a judge or justice who disagrees with the majority decision of the court.

“Justice Smith wrote a strong dissent explaining why she thought the law was unfair.”

“The justice's powerful dissent argued that the majority had misinterpreted the constitutional protections regarding individual privacy.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Sports

n. showing your disagreement with a referee's decision in a rude or angry way.

n. the act of showing public disagreement with an official's decision in a manner deemed unsporting or disrespectful.

“The player was given a yellow card for dissent after shouting at the referee.”

“The captain was cautioned for dissent after he continued to argue aggressively with the umpire regarding the previous play.”

C1 · Advanced Formal

v. to publicly disagree with an official opinion or a common belief.

v. to withhold assent or to differ in opinion from a majority or an established authority; frequently takes the preposition 'from'.

“Only two members of the committee chose to dissent from the final decision.”

“While the majority of the board supported the merger, several key shareholders chose to dissent, citing concerns over long-term stability.”