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Synonyms

disjointed

American  
[dis-join-tid] / dɪsˈdʒɔɪn tɪd /

adjective

  1. having the joints or connections separated.

    a disjointed fowl.

  2. disconnected; incoherent.

    a disjointed discourse.

    Synonyms:
    unorganized, chaotic, confused, rambling
  3. Entomology. disjunct.


disjointed British  
/ dɪsˈdʒɔɪntɪd /

adjective

  1. having no coherence; disconnected

  2. separated at the joint

  3. dislocated

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of disjointed

First recorded in 1580–90; disjoint + -ed 2

Explanation

Disjointed isn’t when you can bend your thumb all the way backwards — that’s double-jointed. Disjointed means "unorganized" or "disconnected." Disjointed is an adjective that describes something as disconnected, illogical, or just messed up. A disjointed argument is an argument that doesn’t make a lot of sense. The same can be said for a disjointed sentence or a disjointed speech. In a medical sense, disjointed means "dislocated," or “separated at the joint.” When someone gets injured, they may end up with a disjointed shoulder or a disjointed hip.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing disjointed

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:

But once the match began, the same bunch of Americans who had touted the group’s cohesiveness looked completely disjointed from the opening whistle until Romelu Lukaku scored the Red Devils’ fourth goal.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 7, 2026

The accord aims to prevent future pandemics from the disjointed responses and international disarray that surrounded the coronavirus crisis, by improving global coordination, surveillance and access to vaccines.

From Barron's Apr. 27, 2026

And Variety's Alison Herman said the show is "never not entertaining" but now "feels like entertaining but disjointed fan fiction".

From BBC Apr. 13, 2026

The third instalment, according to Variety's Alison Herman, "feels like entertaining but disjointed fan fiction".

From BBC Apr. 10, 2026

But the hunks of mushroom were smashed and disjointed, a puzzle of pieces that no longer fit.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

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