Disintegration is the process of falling apart completely. The disintegration of the empire, rapid disintegration, social disintegration.
It works for rock crumbling to dust and for an institution collapsing, and the same slow inevitability is in both. In physics it names the breaking up of an atomic nucleus.
1noundisintegrationThe process of falling apart completely until nothing holds together, as rock crumbles to dust or an empire collapses.
“The disintegration of the family after the father left was painful to watch.”
disintegration is a falling apart.
From disintegrate, from dis- plus Latin integer, whole or untouched.
Ancient Greek
εἶμι
English
ion
English, today
disintegration
Built from
From disintegrate + ion or dis + integration. ion comes from Ancient Greek εἶμι. From the ending of anion and cation, which in turn is from Ancient Greek ἰόν (“going”), neuter present participle of εἶμι (“I go”). coined by William Whewell in 1834 for Michael Faraday, who introduced it later that year.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA