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
The disintegration of these agencies is drastically weakening the government’s control over the nation.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 18 June 2025
Following the catastrophic disintegration of the Australian team’s wingsail in the closing stages of the San Francisco Grand Prix in March, the Brazil event had to be canned as designers and engineers were thrown the task of strengthening the wings of all 12 competing F50s.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 7 June 2025
Similar special tribunals were established after World War II, the Balkan wars sparked by the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia and the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
—Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
As the flag vanished, only stars and ash remained—an image of disintegration, or perhaps transformation.
—Nel-Olivia Waga, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
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.
Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 18 June 2025
Following the catastrophic disintegration of the Australian team’s wingsail in the closing stages of the San Francisco Grand Prix in March, the Brazil event had to be canned as designers and engineers were thrown the task of strengthening the wings of all 12 competing F50s.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 7 June 2025
Similar special tribunals were established after World War II, the Balkan wars sparked by the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia and the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
—Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
As the flag vanished, only stars and ash remained—an image of disintegration, or perhaps transformation.
—Nel-Olivia Waga, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for disintegration
Cite this Entry
“Disintegration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disintegration. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share