dissipation

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

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

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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

Today, the Western has all but faded from popular culture, perhaps paralleling the dissipation of our frontier mentality and the loss of our connection to the land in an increasingly urbanized society.

— michael auslin, National Review, "The Last Great American Western Turns 25," 3 Aug. 2017
Diuretics tend to dehydrate people; anticholinergics and antipsychotics reduce sweating and inhibit heat dissipation.

— emily atkin, New Republic, "Climate Change Is Killing Us Right Now," 20 July 2017
The WPC put together a cool animation (below) showing her life span from formation to dissipation.

— greg porter, Washington Post, "P.M. Update: Falling humidity levels make for a comfortable night. Fantastic weather awaits for Sunday.," 24 June 2017
The fast movement, combined with dry air from land and high wind shear over the Caribbean should lead to the dissipation of the storm during the middle of the week.

— taylor ward, CNN, "The Gulf Coast is getting ready for a tropical storm that hasn't quite formed yet," 20 June 2017
That single failure was enough for Laviolette's career-dissipation clock here to begin ticking.

— mike sielski, Philly.com, "Flyers still seeking proper replacement for Laviolette | Mike Sielski," 25 May 2017
Rosenstein’s appointment of Mueller, on Wednesday, was stark proof of the breathtakingly fast dissipation of Trump’s power in Washington.

— andy borowitz, The New Yorker, "Robert Mueller to Head Russia Probe: First Thoughts," 17 May 2017
The BMW's 2008 5-Series sold in Western Europe as well as the 1-Series now come with an Intelligent Alternator Control, or IAC, system that collects and reuses energy typically lost to heat dissipation.

— mark durham, WIRED, "Euro Carmakers Build Microhybrids," 16 Mar. 2007

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.