disintegration
noun
dis·in·te·gra·tion
(ˌ)dis-ˌin-tə-ˈgrā-shən 
plural disintegrations
: the act or process of disintegrating or the state of being disintegrated: such as
a
: the breaking down of something into small particles or into its constituent elements
Some glaciers have been destabilized by warmer ocean waters. Scientists fear that parts of the ice sheet may be in the early stages of an unstoppable disintegration.—
Justin Gillis
Justin GillisBut miraculously, officials say, the countless bits of debris from the disintegration of the space shuttle Columbia injured not a soul on the ground.—The New York Times
The New York Times
b
: loss of unity or integrity by or as if by breaking into parts
Declining sales led to the company's gradual disintegration and ultimate demise.
What's more, the fear of many conservatives that we might be at the mercy of unstoppable forces of social disintegration turned out to be wrong.—William Kristol
William KristolOver the long run, however, there is no substitute for addressing the root causes of crime—bad education and lack of job opportunities and the disintegration of families.—Daniel D. Polsby
Daniel D. PolsbyExamples of disintegration in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
No tears and screaming matches are forthcoming: With swift, calmly devastating strokes of omission, Li and editor Qin Yanan articulate the cruelly passive disintegration of a relationship while Yu is in physical turmoil.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 6 Feb. 2025
That stress widens and deepens the crevasses that Chudley studied—a feedback cycle that could speed the disintegration of the Greenland Ice Sheet.
—Ars Technica, 3 Feb. 2025
Then came the disintegration of Brian Jones, once one of her best friends, now debilitated with drugs and insecurities.
—Bill Wyman, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
This preoccupation misses the elephant in the room: the disintegration or collapse of the Black family, the prime engine for inculcating behavioral norms indispensable to success.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2025
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Guy Lodge, Variety, 6 Feb. 2025
That stress widens and deepens the crevasses that Chudley studied—a feedback cycle that could speed the disintegration of the Greenland Ice Sheet.
—Ars Technica, 3 Feb. 2025
Then came the disintegration of Brian Jones, once one of her best friends, now debilitated with drugs and insecurities.
—Bill Wyman, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
This preoccupation misses the elephant in the room: the disintegration or collapse of the Black family, the prime engine for inculcating behavioral norms indispensable to success.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for disintegration
Dictionary Entries Near disintegration
Cite this Entry
“Disintegration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disintegration. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
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