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dissident

American  
[dis-i-duhnt] / ˈdɪs ɪ dənt /

noun

  1. a person who dissents.

adjective

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

    a ban on dissident magazines.
dissident British  
/ ˈdɪsɪdənt /

adjective

  1. disagreeing; dissenting

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • antidissident noun
  • dissidence noun
  • dissidently adverb
  • nondissident adjective

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

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.

The term "dissident republicans" describes a range of individuals who do not accept the Good Friday Agreement - the 1998 peace deal which ended the worst of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

His offense was trying to close an old life insurance policy that listed his dissident daughter as the beneficiary.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

My own family fled after the 2021 military coup when my mother was put on a wanted list for being a prominent dissident.

From Slate • Mar. 19, 2026

The commander - who is white haired and softly spoken - belongs to a small dissident group called Komala of the Toilers of Kurdistan.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

A few days ago, Mr. Washburn was issued revised orders to vacate the compound and have no further dealings with any dissident elements.

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez

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.