Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DISSIDENT
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pronounce
DISSIDENT:
Say it "DISS ih dunt."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
We can draw a very fine line between a dissident and a dissenter: they're both people who disagree; but, etymologically speaking, the dissident is someone who sits in a different place, mentally, while the dissenter is someone who feels differently.
That's because the word dissident (but not dissent) traces back to the Latin sedere, "to sit." And so do the two words below: can you recall both?
1. Something sed____ry involves sitting down for a long time.
2. __sid__us things are secret, sneaky, and tricky, as if they're sitting in wait, planning to trap people.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
"Dissident" has Latin roots that mean "sitting apart," as in "disagreeing: having thoughts or opinions that 'sit apart' from those of other people."
"Dissident" most often means "one who disagrees." More specifically, a dissident is a person who formally or publicly disagrees with the ideas or rules put in place by the people in charge (usually the government).
"Dissident" can also be an adjective, meaning "having or showing formal disagreement."
grammatical bits:
Part of speech: most often a noun, the countable kind ("these dissidents condemn that law"); but also an adjective ("these dissident writers").
Other forms: dissidents, dissidence.
how to use it:
This word is formal and common. We find it most often in talk of politics: that is, you refer to people as dissidents when you mean that they openly criticize--or at least question--the way the government does things.
The tone can be positive, negative, or neutral, depending on whether you think the dissidents are heroes, scoundrels, or something in between.
We most often use "dissident" as a noun, often in the plural, referring to certain groups of people as dissidents.
Sometimes we tack on an adjective for clarity: "they're political dissidents."
Finally, we can use "dissident" as an adjective to talk about dissident types of people, like dissident writers, journalists, or scientists; as well as dissident groups, like dissident sects or factions; or even dissident views, voices, beliefs, sentiments, etc.
examples:
"Guo Wengui... had landed on China’s most-wanted list, accused of bribery, fraud and money laundering. He was also a dissident and fierce critic of Beijing, seeking political asylum in the United States."
— David Barboza, New York Times, 4 December 2018
"I had moved from the role of a gadfly to one of the powers that I had been rebelling against. In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility. As a member of the executive, I had to weigh arguments and make decisions, and expect to be criticized by rebels like myself."
— Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, 1995
has this page helped you understand "dissident"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "dissident" without saying "rebel" or "heterodox."
try it out:
Talk about a specific dissident--past or present--whom you find particularly heroic or scoundrelly.
I'm partial to Martin Luther, for example, the monk who spoke out against the church in 1517. In the words of Eddie Izzard:
"Martin Luther was a German fellow who pinned a note on a church door that said, 'Hang on a minute!' Actually, he was German so, 'Eine Minute, bitte!'"
Raising those dissident views had to take serious guts. That's why I find Luther so heroic.
Need some ideas for who else to talk about? Skim through Wikipedia's list of political dissidents; the American ones range from Thomas Paine to Edward Snowden.
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is "Subject Line Crosswords."
We'll revisit some of the email subject lines from 2019 issues, using them as a tool for recall.
Each day this month, see if you can complete the mini-crossword with words we studied last year. If you need extra clues, look below the puzzle to view definitions and parts of speech. And I'll share the answers in the following issue. Enjoy!
From the previous issue:
Extra clues:
ACROSS
2. verb meaning "to shove something in awkwardly, even though it doesn't fit properly"
3. adjective meaning "silent, wordless, expressed indirectly, or understood but not talked about"
DOWN
1. noun meaning "a mean or critical comment hurled at someone angrily and suddenly"
Answers:
If you like, you can review the words shoehorn, tacit, and brickbat.
Try this today:
Extra clues:
ACROSS
1. adjective meaning "having different parts or sections that contrast with each other, often in a messy, inconsistent, or unappealing way"
3. noun meaning "something's name, label, or title that sends the wrong message about it"
DOWN
2. adjective meaning "low on energy, or weak in body or spirit"
review this word:
A. TRAITOR.
B. ADHERENT.
C. COMPETITOR.
2. In an impassioned opinion piece, Priyamvada Gopal wrote, "We need to become _____ dissidents and _____."
A. loyal .. educated citizens
B. difficult .. uncooperative naysayers
C. cutting-edge .. progressive employers
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
We can draw a very fine line between a dissident and a dissenter: they're both people who disagree; but, etymologically speaking, the dissident is someone who sits in a different place, mentally, while the dissenter is someone who feels differently. "Dissident" has Latin roots that mean "sitting apart," as in "disagreeing: having thoughts or opinions that 'sit apart' from those of other people."
Part of speech: most often a noun, the countable kind ("these dissidents condemn that law"); but also an adjective ("these dissident writers").
This word is formal and common. We find it most often in talk of politics: that is, you refer to people as dissidents when you mean that they openly criticize--or at least question--the way the government does things.
"Guo Wengui... had landed on China’s most-wanted list, accused of bribery, fraud and money laundering. He was also a dissident and fierce critic of Beijing, seeking political asylum in the United States."
Explain the meaning of "dissident" without saying "rebel" or "heterodox."
Talk about a specific dissident--past or present--whom you find particularly heroic or scoundrelly.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Extra clues:
If you like, you can review the words shoehorn, tacit, and brickbat. Extra clues:
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