disruption

American  

[dis-ruhp-shuhn] / dɪsˈrʌp ʃən /

noun

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

• predisruption
  noun

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

"Shell delivered strong results enabled by our relentless focus on operational performance in a quarter marked by unprecedented disruption in global energy markets," said Shell chief executive Wael Sawan.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

The interview came as Fournier was managing disruption from severe flooding in Angola's Benguela province 10 days earlier that he said would require weeks of repair work.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

The Hormuz disruption delivered the biggest physical supply shock South Korea has faced since the oil crises of 1973 and 1979.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

And that preparation for citizenship and neighborliness and economic viability in a world of faster disruption, it ought to be both.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

With the success of the Civil Rights Movement and the launching of the Poor People’s Movement, it was apparent to all that a major disruption in the nation’s racial equilibrium had occurred.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• confusion
• disorder
• disturbance