dissipation

noun dis·si·pa·tion \ ˌdi-sə-ˈpā-shən \

|Updated on: 11 Jul 2018

Examples: dissipation in a Sentence

Definition of dissipation

1 : the action or process of dissipating : the state of being dissipated:

a : dispersion, diffusion

the dissipation of the smoke

the dissipation of enemy forces

b archaic : dissolution, disintegration

c : wasteful expenditure

the dissipation of the family's fortune

d : intemperate living; especially : excessive drinking

2 : an act of self-indulgence

lived a life of dissipation

; especially : one that is not harmful : amusement

See dissipation defined for English-language learners

See dissipation defined for kids

Examples of dissipation in a Sentence

Insulation helps prevent the dissipation of heat from houses in the winter.
a movie about the dissipation of a famous heir's fortune
He lived a life of dissipation.

Recent Examples of dissipation from the Web

Leave enough space around any electrical appliance to allow for heat dissipation.

— caroline picard, Good Housekeeping, "This Why You Should NEVER Plug Space Heaters Into Power Strips," 29 Nov. 2017
In sum, the Receiver must be deeply qualified to do justice and identify, collect, and protect all property subject to the receivership and minimize dissipation of estate assets.

— james freeman, WSJ, "Will Victims of a Ponzi Scheme Now Pay for a Diversity Scheme?," 5 June 2018
The company even crammed additional fins into the radiator, increasing the surface areas and heat dissipation.

— mark hachman, PCWorld, "Choose your weapon: Asus unveils ROG Strix gaming laptops tuned for shooters or MOBAs," 4 June 2018
Owens’ clients who have had success saw the dissipation of chronic pain as well as a boost in mood and energy.

— abigail barronian, Outside Online, "Traditional Chinese Medicine Holds the Secret to Heath," 1 June 2018
Weather models suggest that the frontal boundary will move northward through the afternoon, placing the bulk of our immediate region in warmer, unstable air, along with dissipation of low-level clouds.

— jeff halverson, Washington Post, "‘Widespread damaging winds’, possible derecho, could affect the Washington region this evening," 14 May 2018
No slow dissipation for the Trashers, no aging and decline.

— rich cohen, The Atlantic, "The Mobster Who Bought His Son a Hockey Team," 14 Apr. 2018
The show uses red dust to convey the dissipation of memories.

— rebecca farley, refinery29.com, "Let's Talk About The Nutty, Devastating Ending Of Netflix's Tabula Rasa," 26 Mar. 2018
Athenian democracy lasted two centuries, the Republic of Venice a millennium, but both eventually faced decline and dissipation.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "Donald Trump and the Stress Test of Liberal Democracy," 13 Mar. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of dissipation

see dissipate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

dissipation Synonyms

Synonyms

corruption, corruptness, debasement, debauchery, decadence, decadency, degeneracy, degeneration, degradation, demoralization, depravity, dissipatedness, dissoluteness, perversion, rakishness, turpitude;

Near Antonyms

goodness, morality, righteousness, virtue;

filth, gangrene, rot, squalor;

DISSIPATION Defined for English Language Learners

dissipation

noun

Definition of dissipation for English Language Learners

: the process of slowly disappearing or becoming less
: the act of using all or a lot of money, time, etc., in a foolish way
: behavior that shows you are interested only in pleasure, money, etc.

DISSIPATION Defined for Kids

dissipation

noun dis·si·pa·tion \ ˌdi-sə-ˈpā-shən \

Definition of dissipation for Students

1 : the act of causing to break up and disappear

the dissipation of the fog

2 : indulgence in too much pleasure

Learn More about dissipation

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

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up dissipation? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

dissipation

Definition of dissipation

Examples of dissipation in a Sentence

Recent Examples of dissipation from the Web

Origin and Etymology of dissipation

dissipation Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

DISSIPATION Defined for English Language Learners

dissipation

Definition of dissipation for English Language Learners

DISSIPATION Defined for Kids

dissipation

Definition of dissipation for Students

Learn More about dissipation

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

9 Words for Places People Call "Home"

Trending: Brennan: Trump's Claims are 'Hogwash'

'Banana Republic': A History

The Eponym Quiz

Ghost Word