dispersal
Americannoun
noun
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the act of dispersing or the condition of being dispersed
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the spread of animals, plants, or seeds to new areas
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dispersal
Explanation
Dispersal is the act of spreading something around. This could be positive (like a dispersal of money) or negative (like a dispersal of a crowd because of a bomb). If you know that dispersing is when something spreads out or separates, then you have a headstart to understanding dispersal. Dispersal causes something to be diffused or disseminated, like the dispersal of seeds in a garden. A strong wind could cause the dispersal of someone’s homework. A tear gas bomb causes the dispersal of tear gas, which in turn will cause the dispersal of a crowd. Anytime something is spreading out or becoming widespread, there's a dispersal at play.
Vocabulary lists containing dispersal
Academic Vocabulary, Literary Terms, and Vocabulary from Readings, Unit 5
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Part 1 Vocabulary (Unit 4)
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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.
Dispersal orders are in place, plus Section 60 and Section 60AA powers covering search and removal of face coverings.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
Dispersal season, when coyotes go looking for their own territory, typically lasts from fall to early winter, but it’s not unheard of in January, Wilkinson wrote in an email.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026
He ended up working for Britain’s Petroleum Warfare Department and sharing a patent for something called FIDO, or Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation, which helped clear fog so aircraft could land in bad weather conditions.
From Slate • Dec. 20, 2021
Dispersal from the park was easy; the crowds spilled out onto Fifth Avenue.
From New York Times • Jan. 27, 2017
Dispersal during the Glacial period co-extensive with the world.
From On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection, or, the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life by Darwin, Charles
Definitions 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.
