disruptive

[dis-ruhp-tiv]

adjective

1. causing, tending to cause, or caused by disruption; disrupting.

   the disruptive effect of their rioting.

2. Business.

   1. relating to or noting a new product, service, or idea that radically changes an industry or business strategy, especially by creating a new market and disrupting an existing one.

      disruptive innovations such as the cell phone and the two-year community college.

   2. relating to or noting a business executive or company that introduces or is receptive to such innovation.

      disruptive CEOs with imagination and vision.

disruptive

/ dɪsˈrʌptɪv /

adjective

1. involving, causing, or tending to cause disruption

Other Word Forms

• disruptively adverb
• disruptiveness noun
• nondisruptive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of disruptive¹

First recorded in 1835–45; disrupt + -ive

Example Sentences

HPF also helps reduce the impact of M-dwarf stellar activity by observing in the infrared -- a region of the spectrum where disruptive signals from the star are weaker.

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But that strategy, too, has limits due to its disruptive nature.

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"Supersedure can be disruptive and costly, but supplementing colonies with methyl oleate could help stabilize hives during periods when continuous productivity is most important."

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“We happen to have an administration which is less worried about doing things that are disruptive, so this is the opportunity,” says Erica Groshen, senior economics advisor at Cornell University and a former BLS commissioner.

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“If domestic confidence in the government’s and Bank of Japan’s commitment to low inflation is lost, the reasons to buy JGBs disappear, and more disruptive capital flight ensues,” he says.

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Related Words

• disturbing 
• rowdy 
• troublesome 
• unruly 
• upsetting