discontinuity
noun
dis·con·ti·nu·ity
(ˌ)dis-ˌkän-tə-ˈnü-ə-tē 
-ˈnyü-
1
: lack of continuity or cohesion
2
3
a
: the property of being not mathematically continuous
a point of discontinuity
b
: an instance of being not mathematically continuous
especially
: a value of an independent variable at which a function is not continuous
Synonyms
Examples of discontinuity in a Sentence
There is a sense of discontinuity between the book's chapters.
microscopic discontinuities in the connecting wires
Recent Examples on the Web
The name was a play on the Mohorovičić discontinuity, or Moho, which defines the boundary between the crust and mantle.
—
Quanta Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024
For all its jangly discontinuities, the current work (all untitled) feels newly grounded.
—Nancy Princenthal, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2024
During times of discontinuity, this model provides support with best practices for local boards to conduct performance reviews and evaluation of the college president.
—Michael Horowitz, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
The September 11 attacks are one of those events -- like Pearl Harbor, the 1929 stock-market crash, or the fall of the Berlin Wall -- that marks a sharp discontinuity not only in our history, but in how people who lived through those events understood the world around them.
—Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 11 Sep. 2023
This trait formed what Ella and I came to call a telescoping process, with parts stretching back across time, marking the discontinuity between past and present, and then collapsing it.
—Rebecca J. Lester, Scientific American, 16 May 2023
Furthermore, the Covid-19 crisis has created many pricing discontinuities, which can offer attractive trading opportunities.
—Trefis Team, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023
The first attempt at gathering a core sample like this dates back to 1957 with Project Mohole—a reference to the Mohorovičić discontinuity, or Moho, which is a boundary between the Earth’s crust and mantle.
—Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 8 June 2023
This discontinuity, called the Moho, is now recognized as the line between Earth’s crust and its mantle.
—Carolyn Y. Johnson, Anchorage Daily News, 6 June 2023
Quanta Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024
For all its jangly discontinuities, the current work (all untitled) feels newly grounded.
—Nancy Princenthal, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2024
During times of discontinuity, this model provides support with best practices for local boards to conduct performance reviews and evaluation of the college president.
—Michael Horowitz, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
The September 11 attacks are one of those events -- like Pearl Harbor, the 1929 stock-market crash, or the fall of the Berlin Wall -- that marks a sharp discontinuity not only in our history, but in how people who lived through those events understood the world around them.
—Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 11 Sep. 2023
This trait formed what Ella and I came to call a telescoping process, with parts stretching back across time, marking the discontinuity between past and present, and then collapsing it.
—Rebecca J. Lester, Scientific American, 16 May 2023
Furthermore, the Covid-19 crisis has created many pricing discontinuities, which can offer attractive trading opportunities.
—Trefis Team, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023
The first attempt at gathering a core sample like this dates back to 1957 with Project Mohole—a reference to the Mohorovičić discontinuity, or Moho, which is a boundary between the Earth’s crust and mantle.
—Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 8 June 2023
This discontinuity, called the Moho, is now recognized as the line between Earth’s crust and its mantle.
—Carolyn Y. Johnson, Anchorage Daily News, 6 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'discontinuity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near discontinuity
Cite this Entry
“Discontinuity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discontinuity. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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