dissent

/dɪˈsɛnt/noun

Open disagreement with an official opinion, decision, or set of beliefs, especially those of a government, party, or church.

Example sentences

“There was strong dissent among committee members over the new policy.”
“The government arrested journalists in an effort to silence dissent.”

Its opposite in official contexts is 'assent'. A judge who disagrees writes a dissent, and 'dissenting opinion' is the fixed term.

Synonyms for dissent

disagreement
opposition
objection
protest

Antonyms

assent
agreement
consent

Often confused with dissent

dissent vs descent

Related words

consensusGeneral agreement among the members of a group, or the way of making decisions that aims for such agreement.dissipateTo scatter and gradually disappear, or to cause something to fade away.disruptTo interrupt something and prevent it from continuing normally.dissonanceAn unpleasant clash of sounds that do not blend well together.disregardA deliberate refusal to pay attention to something or treat it as important.distinctEasy to see, hear, or notice clearly; also, clearly different from something else.