dissection

American  

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

noun

1. the act of dissecting.

2. something that has been dissected.

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

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Other Word Forms

• redissection noun
• self-dissection noun

Etymology

Origin of dissection

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

"This is a very significant finding; it is the first genetic dissection of Race 4 resistance from this wild subspecies."

From Science Daily • Feb. 19, 2026

The dynamic relationship of critique and metacritique, rational dissection and passionate assertion, made the Renaissance great.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

I watched Hilty for research but I quickly found myself caught up in her minute dissection and seemingly wild projection.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 15, 2025

Some find the film’s dissection of the economics of dating to be incisive, while others think it’s outdated and cold.

From Salon • Jun. 17, 2025

It was fascinating to think about all the things you could learn there: Galileo’s acceleration experiment, the dissection of rabbits, and making materials change state in a test tube.

From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang

Related Words

• postmortem