Dissertation

How to spell dissertation

12 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce dissertation

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does dissertation mean?

1. nounA long, formal written treatment of a subject, especially one submitted for a higher academic degree.

Dissertation in a sentence

• She spent two years researching her doctoral dissertation.

• The final dissertation must be submitted before the end of term.

Where does dissertation come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin dissertatio, meaning 'a discussion' or 'a setting out of an argument'. It was built on the verb dissertare, a frequentative form of disserere, which literally meant 'to arrange in order' and so 'to discuss or examine a subject thoroughly'. That verb combines dis-, here suggesting separation or spreading out, with serere, meaning 'to join, link, or arrange', the same root that gives us 'series' and 'assert'. English adopted dissertation in the early 1600s to mean a formal spoken or written treatment of a subject, and it later narrowed to the long academic thesis a student submits for a degree. The double s comes straight from the Latin prefix dis- meeting the s of serere, which is precisely the spot where writers tend to drop one letter.

How the word is built

• dis- (apart)
• sert (from serere: to join, arrange)
• -ation (noun of action)