scatteration

noun

scat·​ter·​a·​tion ˌska-tə-ˈrā-shən 

1

: the act or process of scattering : the state of being scattered

2

: the movement of people and industry away from the city

also : the resulting regional urbanization

3

: a policy of distributing funds and energies in too many ineffectively small units

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1