disconnect

American  

[dis-kuh-nekt] / ˌdɪs kəˈnɛkt /

verb (used with object)

disconnected, disconnecting

1. to sever or interrupt the connection of or between; detach.

   They disconnected the telephone. We were disconnected.

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verb (used without object)

disconnected, disconnecting

1. to sever or terminate a connection, as of a telephone; hang up.

   State your business and disconnect.

2. to withdraw into one's private world.

   When social pressures become too great, she simply disconnects.

noun

1. an act or instance of disconnecting, especially the suspension of telephone or cable TV service for nonpayment of service charges.

2. a lack of communication or agreement.

   There is a huge disconnect between management and employees.

disconnect British  

/ ˌdɪskəˈnɛkt /

verb

1. (tr) to undo or break the connection of or between (something, such as a plug and a socket)

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noun

1. a lack of a connection; disconnection

   a disconnect between political discourse and the public

Other Word Forms

• disconnecter noun
• disconnection noun
• disconnective adjective
• disconnectiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of disconnect

First recorded in 1760–70; dis- ¹ + connect

Example Sentences

Willy might as well be delivering newspapers or mopping the kitchen floor, so disconnected are his gestures.

From Los Angeles Times

The boosters disconnect from the Core Stage shortly after liftoff.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some retailers — including Walmart — became concerned that the process disconnected them from their own customers rather than keeping the retailer-consumer relationship in their own hands.

From Los Angeles Times

I feel disconnected, somehow outside of myself and far away, like I’m watching myself from above.

From Literature

He adds that sometimes issues such as pregnancy loss are often medicalised, so there's a disconnect between someone's experience of grief - and how others perceive it.

From BBC

Related Words

• cut off
• detach
• disengage
• sever