Groups agree and disagree in many different ways. A vote can be unanimous or face a lone dissent; a family can live in accord or in discord; a quarrel can be polite or acrimonious. Several of these words are built from the same Latin pieces: sent (feel, think), cord (heart) and con- (together) against dis- (apart).
Key idea
Coming together: consensus (general agreement), unanimous (everyone agrees), concur (to agree), accord (harmony), coalesce (to merge into one). Pulling apart: dissent (disagreement with the majority), discord (lack of harmony), acrimonious (bitter), divisive (splitting people), controversy (a long public dispute).
The ten words
Common mistake
consensus means general agreement, so "general consensus" says it twice. dissent (disagreement) is not descent (going down).
| root | with con- or ac- (together) | with dis- (apart) |
|---|---|---|
| sent (feel, think) | consensus: we think alike | dissent: I think otherwise |
| cord (heart) | accord: hearts in harmony | discord: hearts at odds |
Two more are built the same way: unanimous is un (one) + anim (mind): of one mind. Concur is con (together) + cur (run): minds that run together.
Consensus already means general agreement, so “general consensus” is padding; just say consensus. And dissent (disagreement) is not descent (a way down): dis + sent, to feel apart.