disruption

noun

dis·​rup·​tion dis-ˈrəp-shən How to pronounce disruption (audio)
plural disruptions
: the act or process of disrupting something : a break or interruption in the normal course or continuation of some activity, process, etc.
disruption of sleep
disruptions in service
a process that has continued without disruption
Throughout the history of medicine, health has been seen as a condition of equilibrium and illness as the disruption of a balanced state.David Mechanic
By 1925 most countries had recovered from the economic disruptions caused by the Great War of 1914-18.John A. Garraty

Examples of disruption in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Consumers chasing Zara’s clothing Red Sea disruptions aside, Zara-owner Inditex has had a blockbuster 12 months to Jan. 31, 2024. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 15 Mar. 2024 Now, though, assisted migration research for conservation is getting bolder with growing concerns about future forest disruption from climate change. Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024 Such measures can be effective, at least at discouraging major disruptions. Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024 Unsurprisingly, the people who are more likely to lose a job rather than gain one due to technological disruption aren’t huge fans. Lucas Ropek / Gizmodo, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 According to Variety, dozens of high-profile guests and award nominees were late because of the disruption and were forced to sit in traffic or fully abandon their vehicles and walk the remaining distance to the ceremony. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2024 Semiconductor supply chains are so interwoven that disruptions in one country can cause problems elsewhere. The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 The longer the disruption persists and the more ships are diverted, the greater the delays in delivering goods, commodities and fuel, which risks driving prices higher. Hanna Ziady, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 And while last year’s six months of Hollywood strikes hobbled film and TV production and thinned out studios’ TV and movie schedules, Netflix appeared to weather the disruption better than many rivals. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disruption.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disruption was in 1622

Dictionary Entries Near disruption

Cite this Entry

“Disruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disruption. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

disruption

noun
dis·​rup·​tion dis-ˈrəp-shən How to pronounce disruption (audio)
: the act or process of breaking apart or rupturing
bandaged her leg tightly to prevent disruption of the partly healed wound
disrupt transitive verb

More from Merriam-Webster on disruption

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!