disruption
noun
dis·rup·tion
dis-ˈrəp-shən 
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
David MechanicBy 1925 most countries had recovered from the economic disruptions caused by the Great War of 1914-18.—John A. Garraty
John A. GarratyExamples of disruption in a Sentence
the flat tire resulted in an unfortunate disruption of the schedule for our road trip
Recent Examples on the Web
Political pragmatism But disruption needs direction.
—Will Johnson, Time, 1 Jan. 2026
The months-long impasse between Florida Blue and Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System has affected as many as 40,000 policyholders who must deal with higher out-of-pocket costs, a disruption in their doctor relationships, and finding ongoing treatment for non-emergency care.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Pattern of disruption At least 10 undersea cables have been cut or damaged in the Baltic Sea since 2023.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
With OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Sora services capturing an increasing amount of consumer engagement and concerns swirling around the future of online advertising in a world of AI chatbots and agents, Google’s business model was viewed as a target for major disruption.
—Ari Levy, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disruption
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Will Johnson, Time, 1 Jan. 2026
The months-long impasse between Florida Blue and Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System has affected as many as 40,000 policyholders who must deal with higher out-of-pocket costs, a disruption in their doctor relationships, and finding ongoing treatment for non-emergency care.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Pattern of disruption At least 10 undersea cables have been cut or damaged in the Baltic Sea since 2023.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
With OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Sora services capturing an increasing amount of consumer engagement and concerns swirling around the future of online advertising in a world of AI chatbots and agents, Google’s business model was viewed as a target for major disruption.
—Ari Levy, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disruption
Cite this Entry
“Disruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disruption. Accessed 2 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
disruption
noun
dis·rup·tion
dis-ˈrəp-shən
: the act or process of breaking apart or rupturing
bandaged her leg tightly to prevent disruption of the partly healed wound
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