disruption
Americannoun
-
forcible separation or division into parts.
-
a disrupted condition.
After the coup, the country was in disruption.
-
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.
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."
Vocabulary lists containing disruption
Make a Break for It: Rupt
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Tinker v. Des Moines": Excerpts from Justice Fortas's Opinion
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
State of the Union Address 2016
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The pain from the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, through which some 20% of the world’s oil and 25% of liquefied natural gas used to pass, isn’t distributed equally among the Gulf states.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
And if even one of those delicate matters falls through, the catastrophic disruption promulgated by the strait’s closure is likely to last indefinitely.
From Slate • Apr. 17, 2026
This position also appears to have been accelerated by the Iran war, which has caused disruption to Saudi Arabia's oil exportation.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
The chart shows how jobs believed to be at heavy AI disruption risk still aren’t seeing that:
From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026
There’ll be a lot of anger when that day comes, and strikes and disruption.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
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.
