Meaning & use
protest
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A public show of strong disagreement with something, often by a group marching or gathering.
Grammar: Countable for an event (a protest), uncountable in general use (a wave of protest).
Patterns
- a protest against something
- a protest over something
Hundreds of students joined a protest against the new fees.
The workers staged a peaceful protest outside the factory.
There was a loud protest when the park was sold.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To say or show strongly that you disagree with something, publicly or in words.
Grammar: Stress moves to the second syllable for the verb. Intransitive in protest against the plan; transitive with American English in protest the decision.
Patterns
- protest against something
- protest about something
- protest that something is wrong
Residents protested against the plan to close the library.
He protested that the rules were unfair.
Thousands marched to protest the new law.
nouncountableformal
A spoken objection, especially a firm statement that something is wrong or that you are innocent.
Grammar: Often appears in under protest, meaning unwillingly.
Patterns
- in protest at something
- under protest
She signed the form under protest.
He raised a quick protest when his name was left off the list.
Over her protests, the teacher gave her another chance.
Word forms
| third person singular | protests |
|---|---|
| past tense | protested |
| past participle | protested |
| -ing form | protesting |
Common combinations
- stage a protest
- Teachers staged a protest outside city hall.
- peaceful protest
- The peaceful protest ended without any trouble.
- protest against
- People protested against the new highway.
- in protest at
- He resigned in protest at the decision.
- under protest
- The tenants paid the fee under protest.
- mass protest
- A mass protest filled the main square.
Synonyms and how they differ
- demonstration
- Demonstration is a neutral word for a public gathering, whereas protest highlights the objection.
- objection
- Objection is usually a spoken or written complaint, while protest can be a large public action.
- complaint
- Complaint is milder and often private, while protest suggests firm, often public opposition.
- rally
- Rally describes a gathering of supporters, which may support something as well as oppose it.
Opposites
Word family
- protester noun
- a person who takes part in a protest
- protestor noun
- another spelling of protester
- protestation noun
- a firm declaration, often of innocence or disagreement
- protesting adjective
- expressing objection
Commonly confused: protest or protestant?
protest vs protestant
Protestant refers to a member of certain Christian churches, from the same Latin root. It is not the general word for someone who protests.
Practice
The residents gathered outside the town hall to ___ the plan to close the library.
Choose one answer.
Protest here means to show disagreement, and it takes an object in American English. Praise and propose do not express objection, and prolong means to lengthen.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “protest”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.