dissenter

noun

dis·​sent·​er di-ˈsen-tər 

1

: one that dissents

2

Dissenter : an English Nonconformist

Synonyms of dissenter

• dissident
• renegade

Examples of dissenter in a Sentence

a society that prized conformity very highly and treated dissenters of any kind very harshly

Recent Examples on the Web

House Bill 1335 passed on a near-party-line 41-22 vote, with nearly all of the chamber’s Democrats in support against their Republican colleagues and a lone Democratic dissenter. —The Denver Post, Denver Post, 2 May 2026

That ubiquity created ample opportunity for a poststructural dissenter to come along. —New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026

Examples include dissenters citing anti-war sentiments or disapproval of the government’s handling of the Epstein files. —Maximilian Brichta, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026

Others have been prosecuted under a counterterrorism law that carries a potential death penalty and has been used to target political and armed opponents, journalists and other dissenters. —ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1639, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dissenter

• indenter
• inventor
• precentor
• preventer
• tormentor
• center
• centre
• enter
• renter
• stentor
• tenter
• epicenter

Kids Definition

dissenter

noun

dis·​sent·​er dis-ˈent-ər 

1

: one that dissents

2

capitalized : an English Protestant who is not in agreement with the rules or beliefs of the Church of England