noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˌdɪsəˈteɪʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, General-American:/ˌdɪsɚˈteɪʃən/
Australian:/ˌdɪs.əˈtæɪ.ʃən/
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:D IH2 S ER0 T EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A formal exposition of a subject, especially a research paper that students write in order to complete the requirements for a doctoral degree in the US and a non-doctoral degree in the UK; a thesis.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
write a dissertation
write up a dissertation
hand in a dissertation
complete a dissertation
She spent three years writing her doctoral dissertation.
The student defended his dissertation successfully.
Her dissertation focused on medieval literature.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A lengthy lecture on a subject; a treatise; a discourse; a sermon.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a treatise advancing a new point of view resulting from research; usually a requirement for an advanced academic degree
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: thesis
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: treatise
History
Etymology
From Latin dissertātiō, from dissertō.
Across languages
Translations
63 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
ատենախոսություն
(atenaxosutʻyun)
— formal exposition of a subject
Armenian:
դիսերտացիա
(disertacʻia)
— formal exposition of a subject
Belarusian:
дысерта́цыя
(dysjertácyja)
— formal exposition of a subject
Bulgarian:
дисерта́ция
(disertácija)
— formal exposition of a subject
Catalan:
dissertació
— formal exposition of a subject
Chinese Mandarin:
論文 /论文
(lùnwén)
— formal exposition of a subject
Czech:
disertační práce
— formal exposition of a subject
Czech:
disertace
— formal exposition of a subject
Danish:
afhandling
— formal exposition of a subject
Dutch:
proefschrift
— formal exposition of a subject
Dutch:
thesis
— formal exposition of a subject
Dutch:
dissertatie
— formal exposition of a subject
Esperanto:
disertaĵo
— formal exposition of a subject
Esperanto:
disertacio
— formal exposition of a subject
Finnish:
tieteellinen tutkielma
— formal exposition of a subject
Finnish:
väitöskirja
— formal exposition of a subject
French:
dissertation
— formal exposition of a subject
Georgian:
დისერტაცია
(diserṭacia)
— formal exposition of a subject
Georgian:
სადოქტორო ნაშრომი
(sadokṭoro našromi)
— formal exposition of a subject
German:
Doktorarbeit
— formal exposition of a subject
German:
Dissertation
— formal exposition of a subject
Greek:
διατριβή
(diatriví)
— formal exposition of a subject
Gujarati:
મહાશોધ નિબંધ
(mahāśodh nibandh)
— formal exposition of a subject
Hebrew:
תזה
— formal exposition of a subject
Hebrew:
דיסרטציה
— formal exposition of a subject
Hindi:
प्रबंध
(prabandh)
— formal exposition of a subject
Hindi:
निबंध
(nibandh)
— formal exposition of a subject
Hungarian:
disszertáció
— formal exposition of a subject
Hungarian:
diplomamunka
— formal exposition of a subject
Hungarian:
értekezés
— formal exposition of a subject
Indonesian:
disertasi
— formal exposition of a subject
Italian:
dissertazione
— formal exposition of a subject
Japanese:
学位論文
(gakui ronbun)
— formal exposition of a subject
Japanese:
博士論文
(hakushi ronbun)
— formal exposition of a subject
Kazakh:
диссертация
(dissertasiä)
— formal exposition of a subject
Khmer:
និក្ខេបបទ
(nɨkkheepaʼbɑt)
— formal exposition of a subject
Latvian:
disertācija
— formal exposition of a subject
Malayalam:
പ്രബന്ധം
(prabandhaṁ)
— formal exposition of a subject
Māori:
tuhingaroa
— formal exposition of a subject
Norwegian:
avhandling
— formal exposition of a subject
Persian:
رساله
(resâle)
— formal exposition of a subject
Persian:
پایاننامه
(pâyân-nâme)
— formal exposition of a subject
Polish:
doktorat
— formal exposition of a subject
Polish:
dysertacja
— formal exposition of a subject
Portuguese:
dissertação
— formal exposition of a subject
Russian:
диссерта́ция
(dissertácija)
— formal exposition of a subject
Russian:
тракта́т
(traktát)
— formal exposition of a subject
Spanish:
disertación
— formal exposition of a subject
Swedish:
avhandling
— formal exposition of a subject
Thai:
ดุษฎีนิพนธ์
(dùt-sà-dii-ní-pon)
— formal exposition of a subject
Thai:
วิทยานิพนธ์
(wít-tá-yaa-ní-pon)
— formal exposition of a subject
Ukrainian:
дисерта́ція
(dysertácija)
— formal exposition of a subject
Vietnamese:
luận văn
— formal exposition of a subject
Welsh:
traethawd
— formal exposition of a subject
Chinese Mandarin:
論著 /论著
(lùnzhù)
— a lengthy lecture on a subject; a treatise; a discourse; a sermon
Chinese Mandarin:
說教 /说教
(shuōjiào)
— a lengthy lecture on a subject; a treatise; a discourse; a sermon
Chinese Mandarin:
演講 /演讲
(yǎnjiǎng)
— a lengthy lecture on a subject; a treatise; a discourse; a sermon
Finnish:
tutkielma
— a lengthy lecture on a subject; a treatise; a discourse; a sermon
Finnish:
puhe
— a lengthy lecture on a subject; a treatise; a discourse; a sermon
Finnish:
saarna
— a lengthy lecture on a subject; a treatise; a discourse; a sermon
Hungarian:
értekezés
— a lengthy lecture on a subject; a treatise; a discourse; a sermon
Hungarian:
tanulmány
— a lengthy lecture on a subject; a treatise; a discourse; a sermon
Persian:
سمینار
— a lengthy lecture on a subject; a treatise; a discourse; a sermon
