DISSIDENT Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

dissident 1 of 2

adjective

ˈdi-sə-dənt

Definition of dissident

as in dissenting

deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices dissident elements within the Catholic Church

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dissident

2 of 2

noun

as in dissenter

a person who believes, teaches, or advocates something opposed to accepted beliefs the conference drew political dissidents of every ilk

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of dissident

Adjective

Andrei Pivovarov, a dissident and former head of the Open Russia group, addressed a protest gathered outside the building. — ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026 That is often problematic for films directed by dissident filmmakers. — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026

Noun

The 30-page superseding indictment accuses the couple of overseeing a system of political repression that relied on Venezuela's military, intelligence agencies and security forces to torture their opponents, silence dissidents and maintain power. — Alice Gainer, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 So, naturally, the current Republican administration is treating today’s Nicaraguan dissidents as heroes and honoring the offer of sanctuary, right? — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dissident

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissident

Adjective

The Fed’s interest rate-setting committee is divided and saw the most dissenting votes in more than three decades last month.

— Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 May 2026
Board member Renee Paschall cast the lone dissenting vote on the final package.

— Elizabeth Sander, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Aug. 2022

Definition of dissenting

Noun

Pentecostal parents Ruth and Marius were accused of domestic violence, with worldwide protests criticizing what dissenters called harsh and hasty steps taken by Norwegian social workers without proper evidence.

— Tomris Laffly, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
The possibility that these faceless leaders might make a deal to prevent being overthrown was dead when the country decided to murder its dissenters before the war began.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of dissenter

Adjective

Fashion brands have been experimenting with livelier and more unconventional footwear designs in general lately, and that means interesting uses of color.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
While Aardvark hinted at Sakurai’s appetite for the unconventional, The Eric Andre Show pushed that instinct further, cementing an approach that continues to inform his work.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of unconventional

Noun

Niger’s ruling junta survived its most serious internal challenge since the 2023 coup after renegade soldiers mutinied in Niamey and Russian Africa Corps fighters helped presidential guards retake a key airbase.

— Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
In some ways, there is a strange kind of unity to these three—all are set during the Depression, all feature stylish renegades.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of renegade

Adjective

The design was by aviation legend Burt Rutan, known for his bold and often maverick creations.

— Jacopo Prisco, CNN, 27 Jan. 2023
But the true landmark was Pierre Balmain’s Vent Vert, created by maverick female perfumer Germaine Cellier (also the mastermind behind Robert Piguet’s showstopping Fracas) in 1947.

— Town & Country, Town & Country, 19 Dec. 2022

Definition of maverick

Adjective

This dogmatic approach to revolutionary citizenship led to the horrible treatment of any perceived as nonconformist, such as LGBTQ people, hippies or punks.

— Juan Carlos Albarran, The Conversation, 13 July 2026
In the end, Levine’s profile of the nonconformist genius reveals just how superb a dancer Cole was.

— R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026

Definition of nonconformist

Adjective

Drexler, who died last year, at ninety-eight, was not only an iconoclastic novelist, a multiple-Obie-winning playwright, and an Emmy-winning comedy writer.

— Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
How far might a nation go that had no kings to depose, no entrenched hierarchies to uproot, a country so young and iconoclastic and resource-rich?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of iconoclastic

Adjective

This salad was a bit heretical—a hybridization of Roman puntarelle dressing and Venetian radicchios.

— Tamar Adler, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
Bell stars as heretic priest John Ball, while Garfield portrays a character called Ploughman, a grieving farmer who unintentionally finds himself in a leadership position.

— Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of heretical

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“Dissident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissident. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of dissident

adjective

noun

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