Quick answer
Dissent is disagreement, as in political dissent, and it can also be a verb. Descent is a going down, or your family origins. Memory hook: descent goes with descend, the opposite of ascent.
The core difference
Dissent is about disagreeing, while descent is about going down or where a family comes from.
- dissent — disagreement, or to disagree: One judge dissented from the majority ruling.
- descent — a coming down, or ancestry: The plane began its descent into Manchester.
- descent — family origins: She is of Italian descent on her mother's side.
How to tell them apart
Both words sound almost identical when spoken, so the difference is in the meaning. If people are disagreeing with an official view, you want dissent. If something or someone is moving downward, or you are talking about ancestors, you want descent.
A trick is that descent shares a root with descend, the opposite of ascent. The mix-up appears in news writing about protests, court rulings and flights, so check which idea you mean before choosing the spelling.
Frequently asked questions
Is dissent a noun or a verb?
Both. You can express dissent, or you can dissent from a decision.
Does descent only mean going down?
No. It also means family origins, as in Italian descent, and a drop into a worse state, as in a descent into addiction.
Why are dissent and descent confused?
They sound alike when spoken, so people mix up the spellings even though the meanings are unrelated.
