discontinuity
Americannoun
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lack of continuity; irregularity.
The plot of the book was marred by discontinuity.
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a break or gap.
The surface of the moon is characterized by major discontinuities.
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Mathematics. a point at which a function is not continuous.
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Geology. a zone deep within the earth where the velocity of earthquake waves changes radically.
noun
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lack of rational connection or cohesion
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a break or interruption
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maths
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the property of being discontinuous
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the point or the value of the variable at which a curve or function becomes discontinuous
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geology
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a zone within the earth where a sudden change in physical properties, such as the velocity of earthquake waves, occurs. Such a zone marks the boundary between the different layers of the earth, as between the core and mantle See also Mohorovičić discontinuity
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a surface separating rocks that are not continuous with each other
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A usually uneven surface between two layers of rock or sediment that represents either an interruption in the deposition of the layers, as in an unconformity, or a displacement of one or both layers relative to each other, as in a fault.
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A surface within the Earth across which the velocities of seismic waves change. The discontinuities are located at the boundaries between the Earth's various layers and correspond to changes in the elastic properties of the Earth's materials.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of discontinuity
From the Medieval Latin word discontinuitās, dating back to 1560–70. See discontinuous, -ity
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:
The dividing line between the crust and the mantle is called the Mohorovičić discontinuity, or "the Moho."
From Science Daily ● Feb. 20, 2026
Mr Wetmore says the industry has managed encryption transitions in the past, but “It's the sharper discontinuity that makes this threat more serious.”
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2025
Moments of discontinuity can also be triggered by external forces.
From Slate ● Dec. 3, 2024
It is unfortunate to see a discontinuity of those federal protections continue to emerge.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2023
He had discovered the boundary between the crust and the layer immediately below, the mantle; this zone has been known ever since as the Mohorovičić discontinuity, or Moho for short.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Contemporary nations like Iran, Armenia, and Egypt can lay claim to being built on very old civilizations, but you could point out discontinuities and lapses in sovereignty in their histories that complicate the argument.
From Slate ● Jul. 4, 2026
Additionally, machines can take images of layers in multiple light wavelengths to spot folds and other discontinuities in the cores, which helps scientists link together and arrange the layers.
From Scientific American ● Feb. 9, 2023
Russia in the 20th century experienced two discontinuities: the 1917 revolution that created the Soviet regime, and the 1991 dissolution of that regime and the nation it had held together with gulags and barbed wire.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 7, 2022
“Breathless” is an artistic hybrid that seemed to capture the discontinuities and conflicts of modern life, half in the artificial public world created by the media and half in the deepest recesses of consciousness.
From New York Times ● Sep. 13, 2022
Cantor extended his investigation to functions having an infinite number of discontinuities.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 6 "Foraminifera" to "Fox, Edward" by Various
Definitions 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.
