dissection

American  

[dih-sek-shuhn, dahy-] / dɪˈsɛk ʃən, daɪ- /

noun

• dissections
  plural

1. the act of dissecting.

2. something that has been dissected.

3. a detailed, part-by-part analysis.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• redissection
  noun
• self-dissection
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dissections
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of dissection

1575–85; < Latin dissectiōn- (stem of dissectiō ), equivalent to dissect- ( see dissect) + -iōn- -ion

---

Explanation

Dissection is the process of separating something into pieces. Whether the dissection involves taking a poem apart line-by-line to learn its meaning or cutting open a frog to study its insides, you're pulling out the parts that make up a whole to better understand it. Let's dissect, or take apart, this word for a moment. Dis- means "apart" and section means "to cut", which come together to form the definition of dissection: "to cut apart." When you cut something up into sections you're doing a dissection. The word is commonly used when talking about the process of cutting something apart for scientific purposes, it's also used to talk about taking apart an argument, a poem, or a plan.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dissection dissections

Graham, 71, died on 11 July of an "aortic dissection" caused by cardiovascular disease shortly after returning from a trip to Kyiv.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

At 43 years old, I recently had emergency open-heart surgery for an ascending aortic dissection.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

‘Downfall: The Case Against Boeing,’ Rory Kennedy’s look at the aviation giant’s troubled recent history, is a dissection of corporate greed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

The death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, likely from an aortic dissection, was so sudden it stunned leaders the world over.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

Holmes explained that he had been doing some dissection but now had completed his research.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Documentarian Alex Gibney is no stranger to dissections of corrupting power — from his feature dives into Enron, Elizabeth Holmes and Scientology.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

The actors John Ritter and Alan Thicke also died from aortic dissections.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

Aortic dissections are sudden, often lethal and notoriously difficult to predict even in patients under close medical supervision.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026

The biggest gripe from VAR detractors is that forensic dissections of game footage take the action out of their high-speed context.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

Tyson carried out many other famous dissections, including a rattlesnake and an ostrich.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• postmortem

---