From Latin 'dissentire' (to feel apart) — literally feeling differently from others. 'Dissenters' became a religious label.
The holding or expression of opinions at variance with those commonly or officially held; (verb) to hold or express opinions that are at variance with those commonly held.
From Latin 'dissentīre' (to feel differently, to disagree), a compound of 'dis-' (apart, asunder, in different directions) + 'sentīre' (to feel, to perceive, to think). 'Sentīre' derives from PIE *sent- (to head for, to go, to feel one's way), which also underlies English 'sense,' 'sentence,' and 'scent.' The prefix 'dis-' comes from PIE *dwis- (apart, in two), related to 'bi-' and 'twice.' In Classical Latin 'dissentīre' meant to differ
In English religious history, 'Dissenters' was the official term for Protestants who refused to conform to the Church of England — Baptists, Quakers, Congregationalists, and others. The word carried legal weight: Dissenters were barred from universities, public office, and military commissions until the 19th century. The term 'dissenting opinion' in law — a judge's written disagreement with the majority — dates from the same era
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