dissipation

American  

[dis-uh-pey-shuhn] / ˌdɪs əˈpeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of dissipating.

2. the state of being dissipated; dispersion; disintegration.

3. a wasting by misuse.

   the dissipation of a fortune.

4. mental distraction; amusement; diversion.

5. dissolute way of living, especially excessive drinking of liquor; intemperance.

6. Physics, Mechanics. a process in which energy is used or lost without accomplishing useful work, as friction causing loss of mechanical energy.

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dissipation British  

/ ˌdɪsɪˈpeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of dissipating or condition of being dissipated

2. unrestrained indulgence in physical pleasures, esp alcohol

3. excessive expenditure; wastefulness

4. amusement; diversion

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dissipation Scientific  

/ dĭs′ə-pā′shən /

1. The loss of energy from a physical system, most often in the form of heat.

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Etymology

Origin of dissipation

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin dissipātiōn-, stem of dissipātiō; equivalent to dissipate + -ion

Explanation

Dissipation is the act of breaking up and scattering or spreading widely. With the dissipation of the clouds, you could enjoy the sunny afternoon — if only you didn't have to work. Dissipation also refers to wasteful or thoughtless spending or activity. Your habit of taking old clothes and appliances to the dump instead of donating them to charities is a kind of dissipation. Dissipation can also mean a life of indulgence, in which health and wealth are squandered in the pursuit of pleasure. Your uncle's life of dissipation, throwing money at wine and women, will ultimately only bring heartache.

Example Sentences

Larger radiators and the gear that supports heat dissipation would add mass to each satellite, and big radiators can be pricey because they have more ways to break, according to Rao.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

Director Rory Pelsue zeroed in on desire and dissipation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

So the researchers posit that the only possible scenario is that fast dissipation of the ash cloud allowed for very quick cooling, ensuring that the shards were vitrified before being buried.

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2025

It transcends the limitations of conventional binary logic systems by greatly reducing the number of transistor components and their interconnections, enabling higher information density and lower power dissipation.

From Science Daily • Feb. 23, 2024

It had long been known that the Earth radiated appreciable amounts of heat–that was apparent to anyone who went down a coal mine–but there wasn’t any way of estimating the rate of dissipation.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• diffusion
• wastage