In the 21st century virtually every American considers themselves a dissident, even those who defend tradition and powerful institutions.
Source: tatoeba (6121781)
Dissident
/ˈdɪsɪdənt/
Synonyms for "dissident" (148 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (30)
Noun(3 words)
alienatedantagonisticantiestablishmentantipatheticapostateat cross purposesat cross-purposesat loggerheadsat oddsat odds withat varianceat variance withat warbitter-enderbrawlerbreakawayclashingcollidingconflictingcontentious
Strong matches (44)
Related words (74)
janglingjarringlast-ditcherlitigantmisbelievernaysayernegativenegativistnonconformablenonconformingnonconformistnoncooperatornonobservantobjectorobstructionistobstructiveopinionistopposeropposingopposition voice
Show 41 more words
oppositionaloppositionistoppugnantout of accordout of whackperverseplaintiffprotestantprotesterprotestorquarrelerquarrelsomereactionaryrebelrecalcitrantrecusantrefractoryrenitentrepugnantresistantresisterrevolutionaryschismaticschismaticalscrappersectariansectaryseditiousseparatistsubversiveunadaptableunadjustableuncompliantunconforminguncongenialundergroundunharmoniousunorthodoxunsubmissivevariantwrangler
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: dissenter, alienated, antagonistic, antagonistic, antiestablishment.
- Sentence evidence is available for dissident, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "dissident".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "dissident"
Keep "dissident" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "dissident" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "dissident", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "dissident" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
13 entriesactorcritical stancedoergroup memberideologyindividualnonconformityoppositionpersonpolitical actorresistancestanceworker
More specific
5 entriesacademic dissidentintellectual dissidentmilitant dissidentpolitical dissidentreligious dissident
Collocations
10 entriesdissident groupsdissident leaderdissident movementdissident opinionsdissident pressdissident rhetoricdissident scholarsdissident voicespolitical dissidentreligious dissident
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriessimilar
2 entriesTranslations
15 translations across 8 languages.
Bulgarian
1 entries- разко́лник noun (ecclesiastical: one who disagrees)
Catalan
1 entries- dissident noun (ecclesiastical: one who disagrees)
Finnish
1 entries- dissidentti noun (ecclesiastical: one who disagrees)
German
4 entries- Andersdenkende noun (ecclesiastical: one who disagrees)
- Andersdenkender noun (ecclesiastical: one who disagrees)
- Andersgläubige noun (ecclesiastical: one who disagrees)
- Andersgläubiger noun (ecclesiastical: one who disagrees)
Macedonian
1 entries- ра́сколник noun (ecclesiastical: one who disagrees)
Portuguese
1 entries- dissidente noun (ecclesiastical: one who disagrees)
Russian
2 entries- раско́льник noun (ecclesiastical: one who disagrees)
- раско́льница noun (ecclesiastical: one who disagrees)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- ráskōlnīk noun (ecclesiastical: one who disagrees)
- ра́ско̄лнӣк noun (ecclesiastical: one who disagrees)
Sample sentences
22 total sentences available.
The political dissident has spent nearly a decade under house arrest.
Source: tatoeba (6372075)
Will we support the human rights of the dissident in Burma, the blogger in Iran, or the voter in Zimbabwe?
Source: tatoeba (10642391)
He said there are thousands of dissidents who are honorable, and only a few who turned out to be government agents. He said the use of such infiltrators is absurd, since dissident meetings are open to everyone and the participants have nothing to hide.
Source: tatoeba (12203155)
Showing 4 of 22 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "dissident"?
Closest matches include dissenter, alienated, antagonistic, antagonistic, antiestablishment.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "dissident"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.