A dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. When dissidents unite for a common cause they often effect a dissident movement. The noun was first used in the political sense in 1940, with the rise of such totalitarian systems as the Soviet Union. Soviet dissidents The term dissident was used in the Soviet Union during the period of 1965–1985. It was attached to citizens who criticized the practices or the authority of th… (More on Dissidents)