disconnect

play

verb dis·con·nect \ ˌdis-kə-ˈnekt \

Definition of disconnect

transitive verb

1 :to sever the connection of or between

2 :dissociate 1

are disconnected from meaningful relationships

intransitive verb

1 :to terminate a connection

2 :to become detached or withdrawn

disconnects into dark moods

—

disconnection

play \-ˈnek-shən\ noun

See disconnect defined for English-language learners

See disconnect defined for kids

Examples of disconnect in a Sentence

The hose and faucet had been disconnected.
Disconnect the old printer and connect the new one.
The alarm system had been disconnected.
Before starting, be sure to disconnect the power supply.
Our landlord threatened to disconnect our electricity.
We were talking on the phone but suddenly we got disconnected.

Recent Examples of disconnect from the Web

This is because they are disconnected from the river of fast-flowing wind in the middle and upper troposphere called the jet stream.

— jeff halverson, Washington Post, "How can storms like Harvey generate such unbelievable amounts of rain?," 26 Aug. 2017
The American health care system is a fragmented archipelago, with patients moving through doctors’ offices and hospitals that are often disconnected from one another.

— farhad manjoo, New York Times, "A Start-Up Suggests a Fix to the Health Care Morass," 16 Aug. 2017
If residences are disconnected from sewer service, McDonald said the company must inform Madison County government officials as well as the Madison County health department.

— paul gattis, AL.com, "Sewer services may be disconnected in north Alabama neighborhood," 1 Aug. 2017
Bloomberg’s Directory of Corporate Affiliations lists an Illinois address, but the phone number that was provided was disconnected.

— joshua stewart, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Who or what is Balcor? The answer could be worth $60k," 13 July 2017
After indefatigably growing her eponymous organization into one of the world’s largest news sites, and occasionally arming herself with up to four smartphones at a time, Huffington appeared to have found a new religion: disconnecting.

— william d. cohan, vanityfair.com, "Is Arianna Huffington Worse for Uber Than Travis Kalanick?," 10 July 2017
All of these obstacles disconnect young men in minority neighborhoods from the mainstream economy, Loyd said, and many join often-violent street businesses for lack of other opportunities.

— peter matuszak, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago commits $100 million to investment fund aimed at low-income areas," 5 July 2017
As part of the new state law, AT&T is required to notify Illinois customers of its plans to disconnect their landline service before petitioning the FCC.

— robert channick, chicagotribune.com, "End of landlines now law of land in Illinois," 5 July 2017
All-wheel drive is an on-demand system that disconnects the rear axle when max traction is not needed.

— mark maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "2018 Chevrolet Equinox: Smaller, more polished and still family functional," 23 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disconnect.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of disconnect

1770

disconnect Synonyms

Synonyms

break up, decouple, disassociate, separate, disjoin, disjoint, dissever, dissociate, disunite, divide, divorce, part, ramify, resolve, sever, split, sunder, uncouple, unlink, unyoke

Antonyms

join, link, unify, unite

Near Antonyms

assemble, associate, blend, combine, mingle, mix; connect, couple; accumulate, agglutinate, attach, bind, cement, close, fasten, fuse, knit, stick, weld

disconnect

noun

Definition of disconnect

:a lack of or a break in connection, consistency, or agreement

a huge disconnect … between the nation's capital and the rest of the country
—R. J. Samuelson

Recent Examples of disconnect from the Web

There’s a huge disconnect between knowing that one’s hearing is declining and understanding the cause and correct treatment.

— jim martin, National Review, "Elizabeth Warren’s Deceptive Over-the-Counter Hearing-Aid Bill," 17 July 2017
But at the same time there is a disconnect from reality.

— a.m. homes, Vanities, "Ai Weiwei Believes Americans Still Have to Fight for Democracy," 28 June 2017
But verbal Mercury and aggressive Mars also are making their presence known, and a fundamental disconnect between you and friends or family could bring down your spirits.

— aurora tower, Cosmopolitan, "Your Horoscopes for the Week of June 26," 25 June 2017
Girlboss, which focused on Amoruso’s early life, was dogged by the disconnect between its go-getter message and the ongoing trouble at Nasty Gal.

— david z. morris, Fortune, "Netflix Cancels ‘Girlboss’ After Only One Season," 25 June 2017
The film devotes ample time to setting up Emily as a character and making her connection to Kumail feel real, if tenuous, due to his fears of cultural disconnect.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "The Big Sick Is the Best Romantic Comedy in Years," 22 June 2017
So is the market mission, which seems such a stark disconnect from the cheap-and-chipper Kia defined by its runaway best-seller, the Soul.

— aaron robinson, Car and Driver, "2018 Kia Stinger," 20 June 2017
There’s a sense of disconnect or drift in U.S. foreign policy.

— jen kirby, Daily Intelligencer, "What the Hell Is Happening With Qatar?," 11 June 2017
Both in Arizona and nationally, there is a huge disconnect.

— bob ortega, azcentral, "A horrifying journey through Arizona foster care, and why we don't know how many more children may be abused," 4 June 2017

First Known Use of disconnect

1982

DISCONNECT Defined for English Language Learners

disconnect

play

verb

Definition of disconnect for English Language Learners

: to separate (something) from something else : to break a connection between two or more things
: to stop or end the supply of electricity, water, gas, etc., to (something, such as a piece of electronic equipment)
: to stop or end the supply of (electricity, water, gas, etc.)