disruption

noun

Saydis-RUP-shuhn/dɪsˈɹʌpʃən/

Pluraldisruptions

3 meanings of disruption

1
nouncountable or uncountable
A break in the normal flow of an activity or process, so it stops or does not go as planned.
Like a song that suddenly stops in the middle, breaking the flow.
A power cut caused a sudden disruption during the live broadcast.
Students complained about the disruption to their study schedule.
Similarinterruption, disturbance, upheaval, turmoil, chaos
Oppositecontinuity, stability, order
2
nouncountable or uncountable
Behavior that keeps causing disorder and stops things from working in a calm, orderly way.
Like a child who keeps shouting so the lesson can never go on.
The protesters caused so much disruption that the meeting was stopped.
Constant disruption in the classroom made it hard to teach.
Similardisturbance, turmoil, unrest, upheaval, instability
Oppositeorder, stability, calm, peace
3
nouncountable or uncountable
The breaking or bursting apart of something, leaving a gap or break in it.
Like a balloon bursting and splitting open.
The earthquake caused a violent disruption of the rock layers.
Engineers studied the disruption in the pipe wall after it burst.
Similarrupture, breach, break, fracture, breakage

Practice

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Origin

From Latin disrumpere, meaning to break apart. It can also be seen as disrupt plus -ion.