Standard Lemma guide

disintegrate

verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /dɪsˈɪntɪɡɹeɪt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S IH1 N T AH0 G R EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To undo the integrity of; to break into parts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To undo the integrity of; to break into parts.

To cause to break up into infinitesimal parts through the use of a disintegrator.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: literature, media, publishing, science-fiction

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To fall apart; to break up into parts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

break into parts or components or lose cohesion or unity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The material disintegrated
  • the group disintegrated after the leader died

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: integrate

Broader terms: change integrity

Narrower terms: powderize, powderise, powder, pulverize, pulverise, run, unravel, crumble, fall apart, digest, dissolve, crash, break up, break apart

5

verb

Meaning 5

lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the particles disintegrated during the nuclear fission process

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: decay, decompose

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change integrity

6

verb

Meaning 6

cause to undergo fission or lose particles

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

History

Etymology

Recorded since 1785, from dis- + integrate.

Across languages

Translations

62 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: разлагам (razlagam) — cause to break into parts
  • Catalan: desintegrar — cause to break into parts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 瓦解 (wǎjiě) — cause to break into parts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 崩潰 /崩溃 (bēngkuì) — cause to break into parts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 粉碎 (fěnsuì) — cause to break into parts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 崩裂 (bēngliè) — cause to break into parts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 分崩離析 /分崩离析 (fēnbēnglíxī) — cause to break into parts
  • Dutch: desintegreren — cause to break into parts
  • Dutch: ontbinden — cause to break into parts
  • Dutch: opbreken — cause to break into parts
  • Finnish: hajottaa — cause to break into parts
  • French: désintégrer — cause to break into parts
  • Georgian: დაშლა (dašla) — cause to break into parts
  • Georgian: დაქუცმაცება (dakucmaceba) — cause to break into parts
  • Georgian: დანგრევა (dangreva) — cause to break into parts
  • Georgian: დეზინტეგრირება (dezinṭegrireba) — cause to break into parts
  • Georgian: დეზინტეგრაცია (dezinṭegracia) — cause to break into parts
  • German: desintegrieren — cause to break into parts
  • German: auflösen — cause to break into parts
  • Italian: disintegrare — cause to break into parts
  • Malay: menyepaikan — cause to break into parts
  • Norwegian Bokmål: nedbryte — cause to break into parts
  • Occitan: desintegrar — cause to break into parts
  • Portuguese: desintegrar — cause to break into parts
  • Romanian: dezintegra — cause to break into parts
  • Romanian: dezagrega — cause to break into parts
  • Russian: разлага́ть (razlagátʹ) — cause to break into parts
  • Russian: разложи́ть (razložítʹ) — cause to break into parts
  • Spanish: disgregar — cause to break into parts
  • Spanish: desintegrar — cause to break into parts
  • Ottoman Turkish: پارچهلامق (parçalamak) — cause to break into parts
  • Azerbaijani: dağılmaq — break up into one's parts
  • Bulgarian: разлагам се (razlagam se) — break up into one's parts
  • Bulgarian: разпадам се (razpadam se) — break up into one's parts
  • Catalan: desintegrar-se — break up into one's parts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 解體 /解体 (jiětǐ) — break up into one's parts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 瓦解 (wǎjiě) — break up into one's parts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 崩潰 /崩溃 (bēngkuì) — break up into one's parts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 粉碎 (fěnsuì) — break up into one's parts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 崩裂 (bēngliè) — break up into one's parts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 分崩離析 /分崩离析 (fēnbēnglíxī) — break up into one's parts
  • Danish: opløse — break up into one's parts
  • Danish: desintegrere — break up into one's parts
  • Dutch: desintegreren — break up into one's parts
  • Dutch: uiteenvallen — break up into one's parts
  • Finnish: hajota — break up into one's parts
  • German: sich auflösen — break up into one's parts
  • German: zerfallen — break up into one's parts
  • Hungarian: szétesik — break up into one's parts
  • Irish: díscaoil — break up into one's parts
  • Italian: disintegrarsi — break up into one's parts
  • Lithuanian: suskaidymas — break up into one's parts
  • Malay: bersepai — break up into one's parts
  • Polish: rozpadać się — break up into one's parts
  • Polish: rozpaść się — break up into one's parts
  • Portuguese: desintegrar — break up into one's parts
  • Russian: разлага́ться (razlagátʹsja) — break up into one's parts
  • Russian: разложи́ться (razložítʹsja) — break up into one's parts
  • Slovene: dezintegracija — break up into one's parts
  • Spanish: desintegrar — break up into one's parts
  • Swedish: sönderfalla — break up into one's parts
  • Ottoman Turkish: پارچهلانمق (parçalanmak) — break up into one's parts