disconnection

American  

[dis-kuh-nek-shuhn] / ˌdɪs kəˈnɛk ʃən /

British, disconnexion

noun

1. the act of disconnecting.

2. the state of being disconnected; lack of connection.

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Etymology

Origin of disconnection

First recorded in 1725–35; dis- ¹ + connection

Explanation

When you're detached or have lost your link to something (or someone), that's disconnection. If you live in Alaska and your family lives in Florida, you may feel a sense of disconnection. There's emotional disconnection, when you're separated from people you care about, and there's also the disconnection that occurs when a cord is unplugged or a source of energy or information is broken. This kind of disconnection happens when you lose your internet connection or your game console isn't plugged into the TV. Disconnection adds the "not" prefix dis- to connection, which comes from the Latin connexionem, "a joining together."

Example Sentences

Back then, nobody could conceive of humankind being connected by machines that also facilitated our disconnection from each other.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

Some parts of Havana began to have electricity again, a day after the energy ministry reported a "total disconnection" of the national electric system in the country of nearly 10 million people.

From Barron's • Mar. 22, 2026

That sense of disconnection sits at the heart of a new adaptation of Enid Blyton's beloved The Magic Faraway Tree.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

But we sense from her tattered sweater and blank stare a disconnection.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

We learned various warning signals of youthful disconnection and disturbances.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz