dispersal
Americannoun
noun
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the act of dispersing or the condition of being dispersed
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the spread of animals, plants, or seeds to new areas
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dispersal
Explanation
Dispersal is the act of spreading something around. This could be positive (like a dispersal of money) or negative (like a dispersal of a crowd because of a bomb). If you know that dispersing is when something spreads out or separates, then you have a headstart to understanding dispersal. Dispersal causes something to be diffused or disseminated, like the dispersal of seeds in a garden. A strong wind could cause the dispersal of someone’s homework. A tear gas bomb causes the dispersal of tear gas, which in turn will cause the dispersal of a crowd. Anytime something is spreading out or becoming widespread, there's a dispersal at play.
Vocabulary lists containing dispersal
Academic Vocabulary, Literary Terms, and Vocabulary from Readings, Unit 5
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Part 1 Vocabulary (Unit 4)
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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.
Dispersal season, when coyotes go looking for their own territory, typically lasts from fall to early winter, but it’s not unheard of in January, Wilkinson wrote in an email.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026
Police said two people were arrested on Wednesday evening, while 25 Dispersal Orders were issued in Edinburgh - with a further 20 in Glasgow.
From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025
Dispersal is a dangerous business; more than half of itinerant wild dogs die within a year of departing their pack.
From New York Times • Jun. 20, 2022
Dispersal is when a few members of a species move to a new geographical area, and vicariance is when a natural situation arises to physically divide organisms.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
The Dispersal of Birds.—Wherever mammals can migrate other vertebrates can generally follow with even greater facility.
From Island Life Or the Phenomena and Causes of Insular Faunas and Floras by Wallace, Alfred Russel
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.
