dissident 1 of 2

adjective

ˈdi-sə-dənt How to pronounce dissident (audio)
Definition of dissidentnext
as in dissenting
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices dissident elements within the Catholic Church

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
The group is a dissident faction of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. — ABC News, 18 June 2026 Poland’s prime minister says the shooting death of a Russian dissident artist outside his home bears the hallmarks of a political assassination that, if Kremlin-ordered, could constitute state terrorism. — Emma Burrows, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
Noun
Iran hawks and an array of dissidents and mainstream voices within the Republican Party have cast doubt on whether the agreement secured satisfactory concessions from Iran. — Matthew Kelly updated June 18, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026 Investigators probe whether Moscow ordered the brazen daylight killing in eastern Poland, now a key refuge for Russian and Belarusian dissidents and for hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian war refugees. — Vanessa Gera, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for dissident
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissident
  1. dissenting
  2. dissenter
  3. unconventional
  4. renegade
  5. maverick
  6. nonconformist
  7. iconoclastic
  8. heretical
Adjective
  • Board member Renee Paschall cast the lone dissenting vote on the final package.
    — Elizabeth Sander, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Aug. 2022
  • The document runs to more than a hundred and fifty pages, and for each question there are affirmative and dissenting studies, as well as some that indicate mixed results.
    — The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 3 June 2022
Definition of dissenting
Noun
  • The issue of granting birthright citizenship to the children of undocumented immigrants also concerned the dissenters.
    — Amanda Frost, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
  • The three full dissenters from the court's ruling all believed the decision was historic, and historically wrong.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Definition of dissenter
Adjective
  • Your unconventional ideas land better when people can experience them instead of only hearing about them.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2026
  • While seemingly an unconventional choice, Sandler, Swift and Kelce have been in each other's orbit for several years.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of unconventional
Noun
  • There are Sixties rock bands like the Sonics and the Small Faces, and pioneering hippie renegades like Love or the Thirteenth Floor Elevators.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2026
  • The president can call out the army against seceding states and their renegade congresspeople.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 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
  • 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
  • When personal finance tips resonate with a viewers’ values, everyday financial decision-making can become colored with politics and nonconformist sentiments.
    — Maximilian Brichta, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
Definition of nonconformist
Adjective
  • But the truth is that our forefathers were sufficiently individualistic to be iconoclastic.
    — Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 4 July 2026
  • The cycle can probably only be broken only by the election of iconoclastic radical politicians.
    — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
Definition of iconoclastic
Adjective
  • In the 14th century, Bibles in English became associated with John Wycliffe, a priest who criticized corruption in the Catholic Church, and whose views on Holy Communion the church had declared heretical.
    — Michael Bruening, The Conversation, 30 June 2026
  • This point can sound almost heretical in modern healthcare discourse, where prevention is frequently framed as both morally superior and financially inevitable.
    — Jeffrey Wessler, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Definition of heretical

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Cite this Entry

“Dissident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissident. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dissident

Nglish: Translation of dissident for Spanish Speakers

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