dispersion

noun

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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

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About dispersion

Examples of dispersion in a Sentence

the dispersion of energy from a source

Recent Examples on the Web Standard deviation is a measure of the dispersion of a set of data from its mean. — Frank Holmes, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2021 And though its importance has long been overlooked, understanding dispersion is critical for developing effective infection prevention strategies. — Megan Molteni, STAT, 4 May 2022 And the dispersion of Russians and Ukrainians throughout the ballet community is especially wide, given ballet’s deep roots in both countries. — Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2022 The resulting velocity of information dispersion means enforcement systems can't intervene on time. — Tom Siegel, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2022 This extreme dispersion of the opposition has served Macron well. — Arthur Goldhammer, The New Republic, 7 Apr. 2022 The dispersion in returns between the top performers in the 90th percentile and the bottom performers in the 10th percentile remained wide but was narrowed from the previous year. — Jacob Wolinsky, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2022 The five schools were selected with appropriate geographic dispersion. — Steve Sadin, chicagotribune.com, 1 Feb. 2022 Doing so would help Beijing start building the scaffolding for a global yuan, including greater dispersion of the currency around the world. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 18 Mar. 2022 See More

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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Dictionary Entries Near dispersion

dispersibility

dispersion

dispersive

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Last Updated

18 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Dispersion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dispersion. Accessed 25 May. 2022.

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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