People who disagree with and oppose an authority, government, or official policy, often at personal risk.
From Latin 'dissidere' meaning to sit apart or disagree, from 'dis-' (apart) and 'sidere' (to sit). The term became prominent in 20th-century Cold War language describing political opponents.
Famous dissidents like Nelson Mandela and Vaclav Havel often spent years in prison for opposing authoritarian regimes. Their example shows that the word 'dissident' really means 'someone willing to sacrifice everything for their beliefs.'
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