dissolution
Americannoun
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dissolutions
plural
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the act or process of resolving or dissolving into parts or elements.
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the resulting state.
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the undoing or breaking of a bond, tie, union, partnership, etc.
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the breaking up of an assembly or organization; dismissal; dispersal.
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Government. an order issued by the head of a state terminating a parliament and necessitating a new election.
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death; decease.
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a bringing or coming to an end; disintegration; decay; termination.
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legal termination, especially of business activity, with the final distribution of assets, the fixing of liabilities, etc.
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Chemistry. the process by which a solid, gas, or liquid is dispersed homogeneously in a gas, solid, or, especially, a liquid.
noun
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the resolution or separation into component parts; disintegration
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destruction by breaking up and dispersing
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the termination of a meeting or assembly, such as Parliament
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the termination of a formal or legal relationship, such as a business enterprise, marriage, etc
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the state of being dissolute; dissipation
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the act or process of dissolving
Usage
What does dissolution mean? Dissolution generally refers to the process of dissolving or breaking apart. Dissolution is the noun form of the verb dissolve, which most commonly means to mix into and melt within a liquid but has several other meanings, including to break apart. Dissolution also has several other meanings, including specific ones in contexts such as chemistry, law, and law. When it refers to the process of breaking apart, dissolution commonly applies to things like formal relationships (such as marriage) and organizations (such as a parliament). Example: The dissolution of the company left many people out of work.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nondissolutionnoun
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predissolutionnoun
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redissolutionnoun
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self-dissolutionnoun
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dissolutiveadjective
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prodissolutionadjective
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dissolutiveadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of dissolution
1350–1400; Middle English dissolucioun (< Anglo-French ) < Latin dissolūtiōn- (stem of dissolūtiō ). See dis- 1, solution
Explanation
The dissolution of a relationship means that it's broken up or ended. The dissolution of your band means you better get started on your solo album. Dissolution comes from the Latin word dissolutio, meaning "a dissolving of something." Dissolution looks very similar to "dissolve," so to help you remember the meaning, think about what happens if you put paper in water — it breaks apart. A dissolution of a marriage is the same thing as divorce. Although it sounds like disillusion, if you try to use them interchangeably, your logic will fall apart.
Vocabulary lists containing dissolution
100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
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This Week in Words: September 17 - 24, 2017
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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.
See Examples For:
"We expect the disarmament and dissolution processes to be implemented as quickly as possible.. and subsequently for the relevant articles of the law to come into effect," he wrote on X.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
But Mr. McElwee isn’t under the impression that he can definitely solve the mysteries of his son’s psychology, or untangle and understand every step of his dissolution.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
He said he would now be encouraging Tynwald members to sign the bill, "ensuring that it will survive the dissolution of this parliamentary session ahead of the island's general election in September".
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
He takes accountability for his role in their dissolution, breathing vulnerability through the lyrics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
“Your term of service is over and the time of dissolution has come. I expected it, but—Well, the Master’s will be done!”
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
"It's not about the election, it's about the dissolutions."
From Barron's ● Feb. 7, 2026
“These are mom-and-pop owners of real estate. People going through death, divorce, partnership dissolutions or retirement who are forced to sell as soon as possible,” Maher said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2023
Court capacity was reduced and creditors faced restrictions on taking legal action until recently, slowing the process of company dissolutions.
From Reuters ● Dec. 17, 2021
Between April and June 2021, there were 190,639 new incorporations and 115,554 dissolutions in the UK.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2021
Nevertheless these disorders furnished rather the pretext than the real reason for the dissolutions that followed.
From The Age of the Reformation by Preserved Smith
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.
