Dissent
Etymology
From Latin “dissentire,” “to differ in feeling, disagree,” from “dis-,” “apart,” + “sentire,” “to feel.” Built as the mirror of “consent” (com-, “together”): where to consent is to feel together, to dissent is to feel apart. The word names an emotional and moral separation, not mere factual disagreement.
noun · /dih-SENT/
Public disagreement with an official position, prevailing opinion, or those in power.
What it names
Reach for it to name principled refusal to go along — the withholding of agreement, whether spoken, written, or voted.
Example
The lone justice filed a dissent that later generations treated as the wiser opinion.
Related idea
Dissent is the expression of disagreement; protest is the collective, often public action that dramatizes it. One can dissent silently — a refusal to salute — whereas protest is dissent made visible and mobilized.
noun · /dih-SENT/
A judge’s formal opinion disagreeing with the court’s majority.
What it names
a judicial minority opinion
Example
Her dissent was later cited more often than the majority ruling.
Related idea
The general act of disagreement given a formal place in law; compare opinion.
See also