# dissent

/dɪˈsɛnt/ (US) · /dɪsˈɛnt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dissent
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. political or religious disagreement

noun · CEFR B2

the act of disagreeing with the ideas of a government, a political party, or a religion.

For teachers: the expression or holding of opinions at variance with those previously or officially held, particularly in a political or religious context.

- The government tried to stop any dissent by banning public protests.
- The regime's attempt to suppress political dissent only served to galvanise the underground movement and attract international condemnation.

### 2. legal opinion

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

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

For teachers: 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.

### 3. sports misconduct

noun · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: 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.

### 4. to disagree

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

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

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- There was some dissent among the team members.
- The committee noted the dissent during the vote but proceeded with the original plan.
- While the majority supported the new policy, a vocal minority voiced their dissent through published letters and organized protests.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.