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
Sign up The disintegration happens in a process called decratonization.
—Devika Rao, theweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Shortly after Matt recounts his marriage’s disintegration, Chris turns in.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2024
The acquisition of Dish Network would make DirecTV the largest pay-TV operator in the U.S. by far, but the consolidation of the rival satellite services isn’t likely to do much to decelerate the disintegration of the legacy distribution model.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2024
Hide Distracting Items The disintegration animation for hiding distracting items is very satisfying.
—Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 18 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for disintegration 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Devika Rao, theweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Shortly after Matt recounts his marriage’s disintegration, Chris turns in.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2024
The acquisition of Dish Network would make DirecTV the largest pay-TV operator in the U.S. by far, but the consolidation of the rival satellite services isn’t likely to do much to decelerate the disintegration of the legacy distribution model.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2024
Hide Distracting Items The disintegration animation for hiding distracting items is very satisfying.
—Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 18 Sep. 2024
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 24 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share