disruption

American  

[dis-ruhp-shuhn] / dɪsˈrʌp ʃən /

noun

• disruptions
  plural

1. forcible separation or division into parts.

2. a disrupted condition.

   After the coup, the country was in disruption.

3. Business. a radical change in an industry, business strategy, etc., especially involving the introduction of a new product or service that creates a new market.

   Globalization and the rapid advance of technology are major causes of business disruption.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• predisruption
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• disruptions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of disruption

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin disruptiōn-, stem of disruptiō; equivalent to disrupt + -ion

Explanation

A disruption is a major disturbance, something that changes your plans or interrupts some event or process. A screaming child on an airplane can be a disruption of the passengers' sleep. A break in the action, especially an unplanned and confusing one, is a disruption. A sudden thunderstorm is an unwelcome disruption of an outdoor wedding ceremony, and a flat tire on an elaborate float will probably cause a parade disruption. When you disrupt something, you upset it or mess it up. In Latin disrupt means "broken into pieces," from dis, "apart," and rumpere, "to break."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

disruption disruptions

"Flooding is something we've learned to live alongside for many years - we've seen first-hand the disruption it can cause for businesses, residents and visitors," she said.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

“I prefer the world of disruption to the peaceful world. It creates for us more opportunities.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

He also warned that disruption to Kyiv's water infrastructure could cause a "quite large-scale" crisis.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

The concern is that if one major company begins reducing its spending on the AI build-out, others may follow, potentially causing a broad pullback in tech investment and a significant market disruption.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

His was the first presidency of a new era, one involving the disruption and dismantling of all norms around privacy—involving selfies, data hacks, Snapchats, and Kardashians.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

This connection suggested that the cognitive effects of declining Menin might be partly explained by disruptions in D-serine signaling.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

Meanwhile, Hurricane Isaias has sharply increased disruptions to production in the Gulf of Mexico.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

This exponential move is explained by the record-breaking tanker rates resulting from disruptions to energy shipments in the Strait of Hormuz over the last six months.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

This summer, news reports revealed that multiple sailors had attempted to jump overboard amid shortages of fresh food, disruptions to hot water and laundry services and exhaustion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Benjamin Rush mentions the disruptions in a few brief references, but provides no details.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy

Related Words

• confusion
• disorder
• disturbance