Meaning & use
without dissent
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Meaning
phrasefixed phraseformal
with everyone agreeing and no one expressing disagreement
Grammar: Used after verbs like agree, approve, or pass: The committee approved the plan without dissent.
Patterns
- agree without dissent
- approve something without dissent
- pass without dissent
The board approved the budget without dissent.
The proposal was accepted without dissent.
Common combinations
- approve without dissent
- The new policy was approved without dissent.
- agree without dissent
- All members agreed without dissent on the new rules.
- pass without dissent
- The motion passed without dissent.
- without dissent from
- The decision was made without dissent from any quarter.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unanimously
- This adverb is more common and direct: They voted unanimously. 'Without dissent' is more formal and often used in written reports.
- without objection
- This phrase is similar but focuses on the absence of formal objections rather than general disagreement.
Opposites
Commonly confused: without dissent or without descent?
without dissent vs without descent
'Descent' means a downward movement or ancestry; 'dissent' means disagreement. They sound similar but are unrelated.
Practice
Choose the best completion: 'The committee approved the minutes ______.'
Choose one answer.
'Without dissent' is the fixed formal phrase meaning with no disagreement. 'Without descent' is a different word (ancestry or downward movement). 'Without dissenting' is not used; 'without a dissent' is possible but less idiomatic in this context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “without dissent”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.