disintegration
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Etymology
Origin of disintegration
First recorded in 1790–1800; disintegrate + -ion
Explanation
Disintegration is when one thing splits into parts or just ceases to exist. When something is destroyed, broken up into pieces, or falls apart on its own, that’s disintegration. If you know that integration brings things or people together, you won't be surprised that disintegration means things are coming apart. Disintegration is what happens when a company breaks into smaller companies or when a band splits up. Often, disintegration is physical — a bomb could cause the disintegration of its target. The decomposition (rotting) of a body is an example of disintegration. When something radioactive decays, that's disintegration, too. Disintegration is when it all falls apart.
Vocabulary lists containing disintegration
East of Eden
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"Deep Survival," Vocabulary from the science writing
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Tracking Trash
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It’s a lesson in how our government works now, and also, it involves the best story of the summer: the total disintegration of D.C.’s Reflecting Pool.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
In 2015, the sickle cell-related disintegration of his hips prompted Young’s transfer to a low-security prison, Federal Medical Center Lexington.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
It survived the disintegration of Yugoslavia in the 90s, but collapsed when the company responsible for the site declared bankruptcy amid allegations of mismanagement.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
But most microplastics come from the slow disintegration of larger plastic products, including plastic wrap, takeaway containers, polyester clothes, tyres, paint and artificial turf.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
According to conventional nuclear physics, this was extraordinary, even bizarre: nuclei of different weights would be expected to emit disintegration products of widely variable energies, with the heavy elements producing the more energetic recoils.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
While all the October disintegrations have been a surprise, this latest one was even more shocking considering this Dodgers team had seemingly learned from last year’s embarrassment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2023
The new series appears to follow Fett’s efforts to bring some order to the former crime lord’s holding — presumably without too many disintegrations.
From The Verge ● Nov. 1, 2021
A short half-life will produce many more disintegrations per second.
From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015
Wesley Sneijder has had just about enough of Dutch disintegrations.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 13, 2012
The Rad Lab’s letter reporting its own disintegrations of lithium went out to the journal Physical Review on September 15 and appeared in print two weeks later over the names of Lawrence, Livingston, and White.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
