disintegration

noun

dis·​in·​te·​gra·​tion (ˌ)dis-ˌin-tə-ˈgrā-shən How to pronounce disintegration (audio)
plural disintegrations
: the act or process of disintegrating or the state of being disintegrated: such as
a
: the breaking down of something into small particles or into its constituent elements
Some glaciers have been destabilized by warmer ocean waters. Scientists fear that parts of the ice sheet may be in the early stages of an unstoppable disintegration.Justin Gillis
But miraculously, officials say, the countless bits of debris from the disintegration of the space shuttle Columbia injured not a soul on the ground.The New York Times
b
: loss of unity or integrity by or as if by breaking into parts
Declining sales led to the company's gradual disintegration and ultimate demise.
What's more, the fear of many conservatives that we might be at the mercy of unstoppable forces of social disintegration turned out to be wrong.William Kristol
Over the long run, however, there is no substitute for addressing the root causes of crime—bad education and lack of job opportunities and the disintegration of families.Daniel D. Polsby

Examples of disintegration in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In this indispensable compendium, 29 leading experts, including many young Cuban scholars, delve deeply into this precipitous disintegration. Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 This can accelerate the disintegration of delicate, organic materials preserved on wrecks, such as ropes, sails and textiles. Laura Paddison, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024 While colonialism was a factor, other global developments—the spread of ethnic nationalism, the disintegration of Eurasian empires coupled with the expansion of the British and French empires, and the widespread persecution of ethnic and religious minorities—were also of great importance. TIME, 1 Feb. 2024 The question today is whether the gyre of slaughter can be broken, a third intifada averted and something new emerge from the West Bank’s disintegration and Israel’s invasion of Gaza. Roger Cohen, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024 What is the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo? Serbia and Kosovo were once part of undivided Yugoslavia, and its disintegration along ethnic lines was marred by bloodshed. Niha Masih, Washington Post, 31 May 2023 Long before October 7, the terror group had come under domestic pressure because of its role in the virtual disintegration of Lebanon. Susanna Hoffman, National Review, 9 Jan. 2024 The original Cold War ended in December 1991 with the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Wang Jisi, Foreign Affairs, 23 Nov. 2023 The disintegration of the Pac-12 has been an entirely avoidable tragedy brought on by the craven machinations of people who, it can only be assumed, do not love college sports very much at all. Bill Oram, oregonlive, 1 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disintegration.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disintegration was in 1794

Dictionary Entries Near disintegration

Cite this Entry

“Disintegration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disintegration. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disintegration

noun
dis·​in·​te·​gra·​tion
(ˌ)dis-ˌint-ə-ˈgrā-shən
: the act or process of disintegrating : the state of being disintegrated
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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