dissension

noun

strong disagreement; a contention or quarrel; discord.

difference in sentiment or opinion; disagreement.

Origin:
1300–50; Middle English dissenciun, dissensio(u)n < Anglo-French < Latin dissēnsiōn- (stem of dissēnsiō), equivalent to dissēns(us) (past participle of dissentīre; dissent- (see dissent) + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn- -ion

Synonyms
1. strife. See quarrel¹.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To dissension

Relevant Questions

What Are Dissensions?

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Dissension is always a great word to know.

So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:

a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

dissension (dɪˈsɛnʃən)

—n
	disagreement, esp when leading to a quarrel

[C13: from Latin dissēnsiō, from dissentīre to dissent]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

dissension

c.1300, from L. dissensionem (nom. dissensio) "disagreement," from dissens-, stem of dissentire "disagree" (see dissent).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences

The members who chose him cited the tension and dissension he was causing.

Pirates mania is still strong, but there is dissension in the ranks.

In that view, the raises are an administrative tool for fomenting dissension

among the ranks.

But as school opened again this fall the controversy continued to rage, with

dissension splitting faculty, board and alumni.

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divisive fraction friction heresy hot spot misunderstanding

Matching Quote

"Disagreement produces debate but dissent produces dissension. Dissent (which come from the Latin, dis and sentire) means originally to feel apart from others. People who disagree have an argument, but people who dissent have a quarrel. People may disagree and both may count themselves in the majority. But a person who dissents is by definition in a minority. A liberal society thrives on disagreement but is killed by dissension. Disagreement is the life blood of democracy, dissension is its cancer."

-Daniel J. Boorstin

dissension

dis·sen·sion