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• dispersion
  dispersion

  noun

  Also an act, state, or instance of dispersing or of being dispersed.
• Dispersion
  Dispersion

  noun

  another name for the Diaspora

dispersion

American  

[dih-spur-zhuhn, -shuhn] / dɪˈspɜr ʒən, -ʃən /

noun

• dispersions
  plural

1. Also an act, state, or instance of dispersing or of being dispersed.

2. Optics.

   1. the variation of the index of refraction of a transparent substance, as glass, with the wavelength of light, with the index of refraction increasing as the wavelength decreases.

   2. the separation of white or compound light into its respective colors, as in the formation of a spectrum by a prism.

3. Statistics. the scattering of values of a variable around the mean or median of a distribution.

4. Military. a scattered pattern of hits of bombs dropped under identical conditions or of shots fired from the same gun with the same firing data.

5. Also called disperse system. Physical Chemistry. a system of dispersed particles suspended in a solid, liquid, or gas.

6. (initial capital letter) Diaspora.

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Dispersion ¹ British  

/ dɪˈspɜːʃən /

noun

1. another name for the Diaspora

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dispersion ² British  

/ dɪˈspɜːʃən /

noun

1. another word for dispersal

2. physics

   1. the separation of electromagnetic radiation into constituents of different wavelengths

   2. D. a measure of the ability of a substance to separate by refraction, expressed by the first differential of the refractive index with respect to wavelength at a given value of wavelength

3. statistics the degree to which values of a frequency distribution are scattered around some central point, usually the arithmetic mean or median

4. chem a system containing particles dispersed in a solid, liquid, or gas

5. military the pattern of fire from a weapon system

6. 1. the range of speeds of such objects as the stars in a galaxy

   2. the frequency-dependent retardation of radio waves as they pass through the interstellar medium

   3. the deviation of a rocket from its prescribed path

7. ecology the distribution pattern of an animal or a plant population

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dispersion Scientific  

/ dĭ-spûr′zhən /

1. The separation by refraction of light or other radiation into individual components of different wavelengths. Dispersion results in most materials because a material's index of refraction depends on the wavelength of the radiation passing through it; thus different wavelengths entering a material along the same path will fan out into different paths within it. Prisms, for example, diffuse white light (which contains an even mixture of visible wavelengths) into its variously colored components; rainbows are an effect of dispersion in water droplets.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondispersion
  noun
• predispersion
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dispersions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of dispersion

1350–1400; Middle English dispersio ( u ) n (< Anglo-French ) < Latin dispersiōn- (stem of dispersiō ), equivalent to dispers ( us ) ( see disperse) + -iōn- -ion

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Explanation

The noun dispersion means the process of distributing something over an area. A combination of your yearly planting of new bulbs and their natural tendency to spread has led to the dispersion of daffodils over your entire back yard. Dispersion refers to the act of spreading something, like your dispersion of sprinkles evenly over three dozen cupcakes. It can also be used to talk about the scattering of something across a very large range, such as the dispersion of people with Scottish heritage across the United States. The Latin root word is dispersione, which means a scattering.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dispersion Dispersion dispersions

This intense dispersion beneath the surface has helped to keep a lid on volatility at the index level.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

Global connection came with a kind of dispersion, diluting shared connections closer to home while allowing for worldwide discovery.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

He contends that when hotels circulate synthetic fragrances through scent dispersion machines, they may be spreading toxic chemicals, potentially causing respiratory problems, headaches, skin irritation and gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and cognitive problems among vulnerable guests.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

One of the study's most surprising findings involves a concept known as dispersion.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026

Within small areas the beetles accomplish their own dispersion, moving on as soon as the Klamath weed dies out and locating new stands with great precision.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Dispersion of stocks has only once been higher when implied volatility, measured by the Vix, is so low.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026

Dispersion, in this instance, means that the gap between the biggest gainers in the index and the biggest losers has grown unusually wide.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 12, 2026

Dispersion is a fundamental property of electromagnetic waves.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 5, 2026

Dispersion, as a general phenomenon, can occur for any type of wave and always involves wavelength-dependent processes.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

The crushing of the nationalistic rebellion, the temporary suppression of the war-party, the Zealots, only strengthened and promoted Pharisaism, and the Dispersion was scarcely affected by the losses of the war.

From The Making of the New Testament by Benjamin Wisner Bacon

In both dispersions, the base polymer was a copolymer composed of the inexpensive, commercially available components styrene and butyl acrylate.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 13, 2023

"This year the macro economic picture has been one of dispersions," said Aspect's Remsing.

From Reuters ● Oct. 9, 2023

An even more creative trust stipulation might be to match the trust dispersions to their earned income annually, incentivizing them to work rather than rely on the inheritance alone.

From Slate ● Jan. 17, 2023

Ms. Marone also said Mr. Cleaver should check his own record before casting dispersions upon Mr. Hawley.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 8, 2022

But the dispersions of the Jews seemed the more irremediable as the destruction of their central home was complete.

From The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 03 by Charles F. (Charles Francis) Horne

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Related Words

• diffusion

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