disintegration

American  

[dis-in-tuh-grey-shuhn] / dɪsˌɪn təˈgreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of disintegrating.

2. Physics. radioactive decay.

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Other Word Forms

• nondisintegration noun

Etymology

Origin of disintegration

First recorded in 1790–1800; disintegrate + -ion

Explanation

Disintegration is when one thing splits into parts or just ceases to exist. When something is destroyed, broken up into pieces, or falls apart on its own, that’s disintegration. If you know that integration brings things or people together, you won't be surprised that disintegration means things are coming apart. Disintegration is what happens when a company breaks into smaller companies or when a band splits up. Often, disintegration is physical — a bomb could cause the disintegration of its target. The decomposition (rotting) of a body is an example of disintegration. When something radioactive decays, that's disintegration, too. Disintegration is when it all falls apart.

Example Sentences

Bush nor President Mikhail Gorbachev anticipated: the disintegration of the U.S.S.R.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

"The risk is a disintegration, even a collapse, of the reputation and historical role of the American Church," he said.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

Jaglom’s 1985 film, “Always,” in which he co-starred with his ex-wife Patrice Townsend, was inspired by the disintegration of the couple’s own relationship.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2025

The thing that made Sunday stunning was the complete disintegration of a team we thought had more about them.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2025

Theory dictated that if the supposed disintegration were occurring within the nucleus’s electric field, the production of protons and neutrons would diminish as the targets got heavier.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• dissolution
• fragmentation