dispersion

noun

dis·per·sion | \ di-ˈspər-zhən

, -shən\

Definition of dispersion

1 capitalized, Judaism : diaspora sense 1b

2 : the act or process of dispersing : the state of being dispersed crowd dispersion

3 mathematics : the scattering of the values of a frequency distribution from an average

4 physics : the separation of light into colors by refraction or diffraction with formation of a spectrum also : the separation of radiation (see radiation sense 2) into components in accordance with some varying characteristic (such as energy)

5 chemistry

a : a dispersed (see disperse sense 2c) substance

b : a system (see system sense 1a(2)) consisting of a dispersed substance and the medium in which it is dispersed : colloid sense 2b

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Examples of dispersion in a Sentence

the dispersion of energy from a source

Recent Examples on the Web

When measuring wage dispersion, economists frequently look at the 90/50 ratio—the wage of the worker at the 90th percentile divided by the wage... — Edward P. Lazear, WSJ, "Mind the Productivity Gap to Reduce Inequality," 6 May 2019 Investors closely watch the dispersion between the shorter- and longer-term yields because short-term rates have exceeded long-term ones before every recession since 1975, a phenomenon known as an inverted yield curve. — Daniel Kruger, WSJ, "Economic Doubts Drag U.S. Treasury Benchmark Rate Further Below 3%," 5 Dec. 2018 The dispersion between two- and 10-year Treasury rates, known as the yield curve, has also widened in past trading sessions to a recent 0.203 percentage point from an 11-year low of about 0.1 percentage point earlier this month. — Daniel Kruger, WSJ, "U.S. Government Bonds Rise on Slower Growth Expectations," 28 Dec. 2018 The higher ceiling allows for a wider dispersion between short- and long-term yields, meaning the yield curve can steepen. — Daniel Kruger, WSJ, "U.S. Dollar Edges Lower Amid Focus on Japan," 8 Aug. 2018 Rising inflation has also renewed concerns about a flattening yield curve, which measures the dispersion between shorter-term and longer-term rates. — David Hodari, WSJ, "U.S. Stocks Fall as Treasury Yields Extend Climb," 4 Oct. 2018 The dispersion of venues is a particular challenge for security, requiring a huge number of personnel to manage everything from traffic to VIP security and terror threats, said Indonesia’s deputy national police chief, Muhammad Syafruddin. — Stephen Wright, The Seattle Times, "As Asian Games host, Indonesia has more at stake than sport," 13 Aug. 2018 In terms of dispersion, both the automatic 14 inch, and the semi-automatic 7-inch will have an average mean radius of 400 meters (1,312 feet). — Allison Barrie, Fox News, "Army's new machine gun will blast like battle tanks," 19 July 2018 Manifestations of mental illness, such as self-harm, drug and alcohol abuse and problem gambling, all seem to get worse with income dispersion, too. — The Economist, "Does inequality cause suicide, drug abuse and mental illness?," 14 June 2018

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

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18 May 2019

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The first known use of dispersion was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for dispersion

dispersion

noun

dis·per·sion | \ dis-ˈpər-zhən, -shən

Medical Definition of dispersion

1 : the act or process of dispersing : the state of being dispersed

2 : the separation of light into colors by refraction or diffraction with formation of a spectrum also : the separation of radiation into components in accordance with some varying characteristic (as energy)

3a : a dispersed substance

b : a system consisting of a dispersed substance and the medium in which it is dispersed : colloid sense 2b

— called also disperse system