dissertation
Americannoun
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a written essay, treatise, or thesis, especially one written by a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
-
any formal discourse in speech or writing.
noun
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a written thesis, often based on original research, usually required for a higher degree
-
a formal discourse
Other Word Forms
- dissertational adjective
- dissertationist noun
Etymology
Origin of dissertation
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin dissertātiōn-, stem of dissertātiō, equivalent to dissert + -ation
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.
He married Catherine Sears in 1967, shortly before finishing his dissertation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
Meanwhile Caroline Cronjaeger, a 25-year-old student, is writing her dissertation on Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway - a book she found on YouTube.
From BBC • Feb. 8, 2026
"I'm including historical east coast wolves in a separate chapter of my dissertation comparing skull morphology between coastal and inland populations," he says.
From Science Daily • Jan. 30, 2026
“For every two steps forward in affordable housing, L.A. took one step backwards,” Greg Morrow, UC Berkeley associate professor of architecture practice, wrote in his 2013 dissertation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2025
She would do the same for his dissertation, she promised, when it was ready.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
