disruptive
Americanadjective
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causing, tending to cause, or caused by disruption; disrupting.
the disruptive effect of their rioting.
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Business.
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relating to or noting a new product, service, or idea that radically changes an industry or business strategy, especially by creating a new market and disrupting an existing one.
disruptive innovations such as the cell phone and the two-year community college.
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relating to or noting a business executive or company that introduces or is receptive to such innovation.
disruptive CEOs with imagination and vision.
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adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disruptive
Explanation
Anything disruptive is loud, chaotic, and disorderly. Disruptive things disturb people and upset the applecart. Have you ever heard a teacher tell a loud student "Stop being disruptive"? Things that are disruptive tend to disturb others. Kids whispering in class can be disruptive. A screaming baby on a plane can be disruptive. If you're trying to play baseball and it starts raining, that's disruptive as well. When you're trying to do something and a surprising event screws everything up, it can probably be described with the word disruptive.
Vocabulary lists containing disruptive
Make a Break for It: Rupt
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"Tinker v. Des Moines": Excerpts from Justice Fortas's Opinion
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Nothing But the Truth
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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.
S&P Dow Jones has since tweaked its index design to make such changes less disruptive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
"Villa Vie Residences recognises that this is a difficult and disruptive period for residents, crew members, and employees, and is working to support those affected as plans develop," it said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
In January 2025, the Postal Regulatory Commission, which oversees the Postal Service, warned that moving forward with the plan would be disruptive to rural communities and might not save as much money as expected.
From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026
The results suggest a potential new approach to treating one of the most disruptive symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
Students become disruptive when they’re not actively engaged.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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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.
