breakdown

American  

[breyk-doun] / ˈbreɪkˌdaʊn /

noun

• breakdowns
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• breakdowns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of breakdown

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

breakdown breakdowns

Mr. Diamond’s book would have benefited from a breakdown of leadership into various traits—humility, arrogance, decisiveness—and a discussion of their bearing on success or failure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

The Fire Department said it did not have a breakdown of how many of the eight people were in the bus or the SUV.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

That raises the possibility that future microbiome-based treatments could improve oxalate breakdown inside the gut, potentially offering an alternative to relying only on dietary restriction.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026

The court said "both sides bore equal responsibility for the breakdown of the marriage" and therefore granted the divorce but rejected Lee's claim for damages, she added.

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

He struggled with the concept for nearly two years, driving himself to the brink of a mental breakdown, before he thought he had stumbled on an adequate theory.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Jo hit burnout a year into her management role, and it led to two breakdowns within a year.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

Gas infrastructure routinely experiences breakdowns or technical disruptions that halt flows.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

Philadelphia and Boston, much older cities, have more water main breakdowns than L.A.,

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

Although rulings on the shadow docket are typically unsigned and do not include vote breakdowns, we were able to identify how a justice voted in some cases.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

"You mean other daughters have also had breakdowns?"

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• disintegration
• disruption
• failure
• mishap
• nervous breakdown