dissolution
Americannoun
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dissolutions
plural
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the act or process of resolving or dissolving into parts or elements.
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the resulting state.
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the undoing or breaking of a bond, tie, union, partnership, etc.
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the breaking up of an assembly or organization; dismissal; dispersal.
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Government. an order issued by the head of a state terminating a parliament and necessitating a new election.
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death; decease.
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a bringing or coming to an end; disintegration; decay; termination.
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legal termination, especially of business activity, with the final distribution of assets, the fixing of liabilities, etc.
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Chemistry. the process by which a solid, gas, or liquid is dispersed homogeneously in a gas, solid, or, especially, a liquid.
noun
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the resolution or separation into component parts; disintegration
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destruction by breaking up and dispersing
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the termination of a meeting or assembly, such as Parliament
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the termination of a formal or legal relationship, such as a business enterprise, marriage, etc
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the state of being dissolute; dissipation
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the act or process of dissolving
Usage
What does dissolution mean? Dissolution generally refers to the process of dissolving or breaking apart. Dissolution is the noun form of the verb dissolve, which most commonly means to mix into and melt within a liquid but has several other meanings, including to break apart. Dissolution also has several other meanings, including specific ones in contexts such as chemistry, law, and law. When it refers to the process of breaking apart, dissolution commonly applies to things like formal relationships (such as marriage) and organizations (such as a parliament). Example: The dissolution of the company left many people out of work.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nondissolutionnoun
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predissolutionnoun
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redissolutionnoun
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self-dissolutionnoun
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dissolutiveadjective
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prodissolutionadjective
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dissolutiveadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of dissolution
1350–1400; Middle English dissolucioun (< Anglo-French ) < Latin dissolūtiōn- (stem of dissolūtiō ). See dis- 1, solution
Explanation
The dissolution of a relationship means that it's broken up or ended. The dissolution of your band means you better get started on your solo album. Dissolution comes from the Latin word dissolutio, meaning "a dissolving of something." Dissolution looks very similar to "dissolve," so to help you remember the meaning, think about what happens if you put paper in water — it breaks apart. A dissolution of a marriage is the same thing as divorce. Although it sounds like disillusion, if you try to use them interchangeably, your logic will fall apart.
Vocabulary lists containing dissolution
100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
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This Week in Words: September 17 - 24, 2017
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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 also often leads to housing instability, academic withdrawal, and family dissolution.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
We identified more than 12,000 fossils by analysing the organic residue left behind by this dissolution under a microscope.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026
The authority will be replaced by the new West Surrey Council in April 2027 following the dissolution of Surrey County Council and its 11 boroughs and districts as part of local government reorganisation.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
"We announce today the end of the mission of the Syrian Democratic Forces and declare, with full responsibility, their dissolution as an independent military force," he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
We are little flames poorly sheltered by frail walls against the storm of dissolution and madness, in which we flicker and sometimes almost go out.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
"It's not about the election, it's about the dissolutions."
From Barron's ● Feb. 7, 2026
“These are mom-and-pop owners of real estate. People going through death, divorce, partnership dissolutions or retirement who are forced to sell as soon as possible,” Maher said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2023
Court capacity was reduced and creditors faced restrictions on taking legal action until recently, slowing the process of company dissolutions.
From Reuters ● Dec. 17, 2021
Over recent years, civil partnership dissolutions of lesbian couples have held steady at roughly twice the level of gay men's civil partnership dissolutions.
From BBC ● May 1, 2016
The scales of Parliament oscillate as the weight of this detached group is thrown on one side or the other; dissolutions become more frequent, and even dissolutions may fail to restore stability.
From Proportional Representation Applied To Party Government by T. R. (Thomas Ramsden) Ashworth
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
