dissidence

D2I1S1S1I1D2E1N1C3E1
UK/ˈdɪsɪdəns/

noun

The state of being dissident; dissent

UncommonScrabble 14

Meanings

noundissidence (countable and uncountable, plural dissidences)

plural dissidences

  1. countableuncountableThe state of being dissident; dissent

    I home Mr. L’s diſſidence will not be hurt if I juſt ſuggeſt that his difficulty in the golden verſes, communicated to you laſt May, p. 224, is no difficulty at all.

    1768, Edward Cave, editor, The Gentleman's Magazine
    2 more examples

    […]and it ſome Way neceſſitateth them in a divided Way to endeavour ſome other Way of entering, and to increaſe their Diſſidence of them who ſo partially (in their Eſteem at leaſt) manages Matters, and prefers the ſtrengthening of a Side, to the Edification of the Church[…]

    1740, James Durham, “Some preparatory Endeavours for uniting”, in The Dying Man’s Testament to the Church of Scotland: Or, A Treatise concerning Scandal, page 309

    All proteſtantiſm, even the moſt cold and paſſive, is a fort of diſſent. But the religion moſt prevalent in our northern colonies is a refinement on the principle of reſiſtance ; it is the diſſidence of diſſent ; and the proteſtantiſm of the proteſtant religion.

    1775 March 22, Edmund Burke, “Speech on Conciliation with America”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, volume II, Dublin: William Porter, published 1793, page 41

Origin

  1. Latindissideō“disagree”
  2. Englishdissidence

From Latin dissideō (“disagree”, literally “sit apart”), from dis- + sedeō (“sit”).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

dissidence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dissidence

MLA

“dissidence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dissidence. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dissidence,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dissidence.

Source: dissidence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.