breakdown

American  

[breyk-doun] / ˈbreɪkˌdaʊn /

noun

1. a breaking down, wearing out, or sudden loss of ability to function efficiently, as of a machine.

2. a loss of mental or physical health; collapse.

3. an analysis or classification of something; division into parts, categories, processes, etc.

4. Chemistry.

   1. decomposition.

   2. analysis.

5. Electricity. an electric discharge passing through faulty insulation or other material used to separate circuits or passing between electrodes in a vacuum or gas-filled tube.

6. a noisy, lively folk dance.

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Etymology

Origin of breakdown

First recorded in 1825–35; noun use of verb phrase break down

Example Sentences

West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude both climbed above $100 a barrel on Monday after a breakdown in talks between the U.S. and Iran over the weekend.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Researchers often struggle to distinguish these rare signaling molecules from the many inactive fragments created during normal protein breakdown.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

Their struggle mirrors what is happening in the countryside: a breakdown that is squeezing both producers and consumers at once.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

"There can be a breakdown of communication," Dr Pippa Bowes, an urgent care doctor in Southampton with a special interest in acute dermatology, explains.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

This woman is prepared to see me without references—Cathy’s told her some story about my having a breakdown but being fully recovered now.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

Related Words

• disintegration
• disruption
• failure
• mishap
• nervous breakdown