dissection

noun

dis·​sec·​tion dī-ˈsek-shən 

also

di-  ˈdī-ˌsek- 

1

: the act or process of dissecting : the state of being dissected

2

: an anatomical specimen prepared by dissecting

Synonyms

• analysis
• anatomizing
• anatomy
• assay
• breakdown
• deconstruction

Examples of dissection in a Sentence

the book's dissection of the problem of obesity in this country

Recent Examples on the Web

This sequence, the show’s comic high point, represents at once a deft piece of stagecraft that, in the cacophony of angry comments projected behind the heads of Don and company, becomes a clever comic dissection of the public square in the age of Zoom. —Daniel D'addario, Variety, 17 Dec. 2024

Before now, it had only been spotted by humans six times—never alive and never in the correct conditions for dissection. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Dec. 2024

Through public records requests, NBC News obtained thousands of pages of government records and data documenting the acquisition, dissection and distribution of unclaimed bodies by the center over a five-year period. —Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, 16 Sep. 2024

The last part can get lost in the stories of crab walks as punishment, and late nights in granular film dissection, and circulation-stifling wrist tape to help the Badgers deliver more powerful punches to their defensive adversaries. —Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 26 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

dissection

noun

dis·​sec·​tion -ˈsek-shən 

-ˌsek-

1

: the act or process of dissecting : the state of being dissected

2

: a plant or animal or a part of one that has been dissected for study of the anatomy

Medical Definition

dissection

noun

dis·​sec·​tion dis-ˈek-shən; dī-ˈsek-  ˈdī-ˌ 

1

: the act or process of dissecting or separating: as

a

: the surgical removal along natural lines of cleavage of tissues which are or might become diseased

b

: the digital separation of tissues (as in heart-valve operations) compare finger fracture

c

: a pathological splitting or separation of tissue see aortic dissection

2

a

: something (as a part or the whole of an animal) that has been dissected

b

: an anatomical specimen prepared in this way