What does "disintegration" mean?
A process by which anything disintegrates.
Disintegration
/dɪsˌɪnd.əˈɡɹeɪ.ʃən/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A process by which anything disintegrates.
- Grammar: disintegration is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: decomposition, dissolution, ablation, abrasion.
- Useful contrasts: economic combine, whole entity, agglomeration.
- Usage evidence: We see the crumbling of the nation, the breaking up and disintegration, until the only suitable picture is that of the valley of dry bones, very many and much scattered, unrelated, unarticulated, disintegrated.
How to use "disintegration"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "disintegration" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "disintegration" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "disintegration" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "disintegration" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "decomposition" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A process by which anything disintegrates. countable, uncountable
"A Pan American World Airways, Inc., B-707-321B, N761PA, experienced an explosive disintegration of the third stage turbine disk of the No. 4 engine at approximately 1410 P.d.t, June 28, 1965. The accident occurred shortly after takeoff from San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, California, at an altitude of about 800 feet above the ground. Disintegration of the turbine disk was followed by a fire in the No. 4 engine area and an explosion in the outboard reserve fuel tank. The No. 4 engine and approximately 25 feet of the right outer wing separated from the aircraft."
- 2 total destruction wordnet
- 3 The condition of anything which has disintegrated. countable, uncountable
- 4 the spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation wordnet
- 5 The wearing away or falling to pieces of rocks or strata, produced by atmospheric action, frost, ice, etc. countable, uncountable
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 separation into component parts wordnet
- 7 The process of radioactive decay. countable, uncountable
- 8 in a decomposed state wordnet
- 9 The process of radioactive decay.; The radioactive decay of a single atom. countable, uncountable
"The sample exhibited an activity of three disintegrations per second."
- 10 a loss (or serious disruption) of organization in some system wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"We see the crumbling of the nation, the breaking up and disintegration, until the only suitable picture is that of the valley of dry bones, very many and much scattered, unrelated, unarticulated, disintegrated."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "disintegration"?
Common synonyms include: decomposition, dissolution, ablation, abrasion, amiable weakness, analysis.
How do you use "disintegration" in a sentence?
We see the crumbling of the nation, the breaking up and disintegration, until the only suitable picture is that of the valley of dry bones, very many and much scattered, unrelated, unarticulated, disintegrated.
How do you pronounce "disintegration"?
Pronounced /dɪsˌɪnd.əˈɡɹeɪ.ʃən/.
Etymology
From disintegrate + -ion or dis- + integration.