Word
dispersal
Phoneticsdis·per·sal, stress on the second syllable
US/dɪˈspɝsəɫ/
UK/dɪspˈɜːsəl/
Countable & uncountable
Definition
n. the act of spreading things or people over a wide area. It describes how things move away from a central point to different places.
n. the action or process of distributing things or people over a wide area. Often used in biological contexts regarding seeds or in social contexts regarding crowds.
Examples
“Wind is a common method for the dispersal of seeds.”
“The police ordered the dispersal of the crowd to prevent the situation from becoming dangerous.”
“Ecologists study the dispersal patterns of invasive species to predict how quickly they might colonize new habitats and outcompete local flora.”
Examples
simple
“Wind is a common method for the dispersal of seeds.”
contextual
“The police ordered the dispersal of the crowd to prevent the situation from becoming dangerous.”
complex
“Ecologists study the dispersal patterns of invasive species to predict how quickly they might colonize new habitats and outcompete local flora.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the general process; countable when referring to specific instances or patterns.
Real-World Examples
“Hampshire Police urged people to avoid the Eastney Landing ferry port area, where the migrants were brought ashore, and said a dispersal order was in place, meaning anyone failing to comply could be arrested.” “A police dispersal order is in place after hundreds of protesters gathered in Portsmouth.” “Disk dispersal sets a fundamental clock for planet formation: once the gas is gone, the opportunity to build gas-rich planets is essentially over," said Gorti.” Etymology
From disperse + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/dispersal