dispersion

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noun dis·per·sion \ di-ˈspər-zhən , -shən \

Definition of dispersion

1 capitalized, Judaism :diaspora 1a

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 2) into components in accordance with some varying characteristic (such as energy)

5 chemistry

a :a dispersed (see disperse 2c) substance

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

See dispersion defined for kids

Examples of dispersion in a Sentence

the dispersion of energy from a source

Recent Examples of dispersion from the Web

My plan is simple: create a land trust, expand bonding capacity for affordable housing projects, leverage private and nonprofit investment and prioritize investment and our affordable housing unit goals ahead of Charlotte’s dispersion policy.

— charlotteobserver, "Charlotte’s mayoral candidates give their views on 4 key issues," 23 Aug. 2017
Because of this animal-specific dispersion system, avocados might easily have vanished with those great mammals 13,000 years ago.

— brian handwerk, Smithsonian, "Holy Guacamole: How the Hass Avocado Conquered the World," 29 July 2017
The US Congressional Budget Office calculates that there is about a 20% reduction in income dispersion between market and disposable income, attributable to transfers and taxes in a 3:2 ratio.

— The Economist, "Without governments, would countries have more inequality, or less?," 13 July 2017
Their dispersion into the desert undermines prospects for a return of stability in oil-rich Libya.

— hamza hendawi, The Seattle Times, "Militants find sanctuary in Libya’s wild south," 13 July 2017
Their dispersion into the desert undermines prospects for a return of stability in oil-rich Libya.

— Washington Post, "Militants find sanctuary in Libya’s wild south," 13 July 2017
While the S&P 500 has done well since November, there has been a lot of dispersion—that is, some sectors of the market doing well while others struggle.

— WSJ, "Value Investing: It Can Pay to Find Your Price and Strike," 29 June 2017
Amazon is focused on dispersion, using technology to bring goods to market without gathering people.

— sean s. suder, Cincinnati.com, "Five ways Amazon-Whole Foods deal may reshape real estate," 23 June 2017
The findings also allowed scientists to probe the limits of Einstein's theory of general relativity further by looking to see whether the gravitational waves underwent dispersion –

— amina khan, sacbee.com, "Black hole collision confirms another part of Einstein's theory of relativity," 1 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of dispersion

see disperse

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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dispersion Synonyms

Synonyms

disbandment, dispersal, scattering, dissipation

Related Words

diffusion, dissemination; breakup, dissolution, disunion, separation, split

Near Antonyms

assembly, collection, concentration, gathering

Medical Dictionary

dispersion

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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)

3 a :a dispersed substance

b :a system consisting of a dispersed substance and the medium in which it is dispersed :colloid 2b — called also disperse system

Learn More about dispersion

See words that rhyme with dispersion Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dispersion Spanish Central: Translation of dispersion Nglish: Translation of dispersion for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of dispersion for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dispersion

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dispersion

Definition of dispersion

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Origin and Etymology of dispersion

dispersion Synonyms

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Medical Dictionary

dispersion

medical Definition of dispersion

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