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
At the time, analysts in Washington were predicting the disintegration of Peru as a nation.
—Alejandro Antonio Chafuen, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Becca’s disintegration emphasizes the parts of her that endure; the avatar, on the other hand, is a parody of that real flesh, an uncanny and malevolent imitation.
—Alexandra Kleeman, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Additional observations will help confirm whether disintegration is the true cause of the comet’s apparent outburst and dimming.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025
Still, Cromer’s ace here was to operate on twin tracks: To recreate with precision how Murrow and his team turned Eugene McCarthy’s prosecutorial tactics back on the prosecutor himself and hung him on his own petard, but also to explicitly look forward to the media disintegration that followed.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disintegration
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Alejandro Antonio Chafuen, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Becca’s disintegration emphasizes the parts of her that endure; the avatar, on the other hand, is a parody of that real flesh, an uncanny and malevolent imitation.
—Alexandra Kleeman, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Additional observations will help confirm whether disintegration is the true cause of the comet’s apparent outburst and dimming.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025
Still, Cromer’s ace here was to operate on twin tracks: To recreate with precision how Murrow and his team turned Eugene McCarthy’s prosecutorial tactics back on the prosecutor himself and hung him on his own petard, but also to explicitly look forward to the media disintegration that followed.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 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 20 May. 2025.
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