disperse

verb

dis·​perse di-ˈspərs How to pronounce disperse (audio)
dispersed; dispersing

transitive verb

1
a
: to cause to break up (see break up sense 1a)
police dispersed the crowd
b
: to cause to become spread widely
disperse the troops
c
: to cause to evaporate or vanish
sunlight dispersing the mist
2
: to spread or distribute from a fixed or constant source: such as
a
archaic : disseminate
disperse the news
b
physics : to subject to dispersion (see dispersion sense 4)
disperse light
c
chemistry : to distribute (something, such as fine particles) more or less evenly throughout a medium

intransitive verb

1
: to break up in random fashion
the crowd dispersed on request
2
a
: to become dispersed
the particles dispersed throughout the mixture
b
: dissipate, vanish
the fog dispersed toward morning
dispersedly
di-ˈspər-səd-lē How to pronounce disperse (audio)
-ˈspərst-lē
adverb
disperser noun
dispersible adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for disperse

scatter, disperse, dissipate, dispel mean to cause to separate or break up.

scatter implies a force that drives parts or units irregularly in many directions.

the bowling ball scattered the pins

disperse implies a wider separation and a complete breaking up of a mass or group.

police dispersed the crowd

dissipate stresses complete disintegration or dissolution and final disappearance.

the fog was dissipated by the morning sun

dispel stresses a driving away or getting rid of as if by scattering.

an authoritative statement that dispelled all doubt

Examples of disperse in a Sentence

Police ordered the crowd to disperse. the crowd dispersed once the show ended
Recent Examples on the Web The suspects faced charges of false imprisonment, refusing to comply with a peace officer, unlawful public assembly, refusing to disperse and obstruction of a street, sidewalk or other place open to the public. Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2024 One video showed forces dispersing the crowds in the neighborhood of Narmak in Tehran by smashing the windows of a cafe where people had gathered to dance. Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 The change in the law is needed to allow the state Department of Transportation to disperse $78.6 million in federal financial assistance to private businesses that will own and operate high-speed charging stations. Karl Ebert, Journal Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2024 Wallack and others have proposed a large music festival during the third week of spring break — when aimless and unruly crowds tend to reach their climax — with the hope that attendees will disperse the loitering mobs. David Fischer, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 With employees physically dispersed across the U.S. and abroad, spontaneous, serendipitous interactions, team building, birthday celebrations and informal social gatherings have faded away. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 Places like Herriman represent a more traditional model of immigrants who disperse across the country organically, typically supported by the private sector, says Muzaffar Chishti, senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute. Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 Over the following days, the colony was dispersed to other shelters around the city. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 As production components move out of Germany, supply chains become fragmented and crucial knowledge and skills are dispersed. Sudha David-Wilp, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disperse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin dispersus, past participle of dispergere to scatter, from dis- + spargere to scatter — more at spark

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of disperse was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near disperse

Cite this Entry

“Disperse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disperse. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disperse

verb
dis·​perse dis-ˈpərs How to pronounce disperse (audio)
dispersed; dispersing
1
: to cause to become spread widely : scatter
police dispersed the crowd
2
: to subject (as light) to dispersion
3
: to move in different directions
the clouds dispersed

Medical Definition

disperse

verb
dis·​perse dis-ˈpərs How to pronounce disperse (audio)
dispersed; dispersing

transitive verb

: to spread or distribute from a fixed or constant source: as
a
: to subject (as light) to dispersion
b
: to distribute (as fine particles) more or less evenly throughout a medium

More from Merriam-Webster on disperse

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