disruption

noun

dis·​rup·​tion dis-ˈrəp-shən 

plural disruptions

: the act or process of disrupting something : a break or interruption in the normal course or continuation of some activity, process, etc.

disruption of sleep

disruptions in service

a process that has continued without disruption

Throughout the history of medicine, health has been seen as a condition of equilibrium and illness as the disruption of a balanced state.

—David Mechanic

By 1925 most countries had recovered from the economic disruptions caused by the Great War of 1914-18.

—John A. Garraty

Synonyms

• derangement
• dislocation
• disturbance
• upset

Examples of disruption in a Sentence

the flat tire resulted in an unfortunate disruption of the schedule for our road trip

Recent Examples on the Web

Based on some of these numbers, the impact of disruptions could be significant, potentially affecting millions of children in blue and red states across the country. —Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025

These actions have raised concerns within the scientific community about potential disruptions to research and the dissemination of health information. —Chrissa McFarlane, Forbes, 29 Jan. 2025

This reflects growing investor awareness of the competitive disruption posed by DeepSeek’s innovations in the AI landscape. —Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 28 Jan. 2025

Several of the exchanges on Tuesday afternoon were about disruptions to federal aid programs as a result of an administration order. —Brian Stelter, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

disruption

noun

dis·​rup·​tion dis-ˈrəp-shən 

: the act or process of breaking apart or rupturing

bandaged her leg tightly to prevent disruption of the partly healed wound

disrupt

dis-ˈrəpt 

transitive verb