dissolution

noun dis·so·lu·tion \ ˌdi-sə-ˈlü-shən \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of dissolution

1 : the act or process of dissolving: such as

a : separation into component parts

b (1) : decay, disintegration

(2) : death

grew convinced of his friend's approaching dissolution
—Elinor Wylie

c : termination or destruction by breaking down, disrupting, or dispersing

the dissolution of the republic

their marriage's dissolution

d : the dissolving of an assembly or organization

the dissolution of the legislature

e chemistry : liquefaction

the dissolution of ice

2 : a dissolute or indulgent act or practice

See dissolution defined for English-language learners

See dissolution defined for kids

Examples of dissolution in a Sentence

the dissolution of the marriage
the dissolution of old beliefs
The treatment is used for the dissolution of kidney stones.

Recent Examples of dissolution from the Web

On Thursday, Malaysian authorities ordered the temporary dissolution of Mahathir's party because of missing paperwork, a move widely said to be an attempt to hamper the opposition.

— bard wilkinson and marc lourdes, CNN, "Malaysia sets election date for May 9," 10 Apr. 2018
The dissolution will hurt the opposition’s prospects in rural areas, said Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, an analyst with BowerGroupAsia risk consultancy.

— Bloomberg.com, "Malaysia Issues 30-Day Ban on Mahathir's Party Ahead of Election," 5 Apr. 2018
What's driving this increasingly maddening behavior and the dissolution of communication in the relationship?

— abby jones, Billboard, "Leftover Salmon Premieres Video for Folksy New Single 'Southern Belle': Listen," 5 Apr. 2018
Gossip-lovers in the audience perked up, as rumors of a romance between the two musicians have swirled since news broke about the dissolution of Antonoff’s relationship with Lena Dunham.

— mariah smith and lindsey weber, The Cut, "So, What Happened Between Lorde and Jack Antonoff at Her Show Last Night?," 5 Apr. 2018
Forster’s book, and the Starz miniseries, trace the dissolution of social barriers as the new century revs up after the death of Victoria in 1901.

— david wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle, "Stunning new ‘Howards End’ connects with social change," 4 Apr. 2018
Tayari Jones’s latest novel uses intimate methods of storytelling to depict the dissolution of a relationship.

— tori latham, The Atlantic, "The Epistolary Heart of An American Marriage," 7 Mar. 2018
Donald Glover clearly has some qualms about the dissolution of the Deadpool animated series he and his brother were supposed to make for FX.

— yohana desta, HWD, "Donald Glover’s Fake Deadpool Script Says This Is Why the Show Got Canceled," 28 Mar. 2018
After Tan Bionica's dissolution, the singer makes his greatest gamble: going solo and planning to fill Luna Park Stadium on May 3.

— billboard argentina, Billboard, "Argentine Singer Chano Talks Songwriting, His Love of Radio: Interview," 20 Mar. 2018

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

Did You Know?

Dissolution is the noun form of dissolve, but it's a much less common word. Still, we refer to the fact that the dissolution of American marriages became far more common in the later 20th century. Or that when India won its independence in 1948, the dissolution of the once-global British empire was all but complete. Or that factors such as crime and drugs might be contributing to the dissolution of contemporary society's moral fabric. A dissolute person is someone in whom all restraint has dissolved, and who now indulges in behavior that shocks decent people.