# disperse

/dɪˈspɝs/ (US) · /dɪspˈɜːs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/disperse
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 2. to disappear or break up

verb · CEFR B2

to break up and slowly disappear, like smoke or clouds.

For teachers: to cause to break up and disappear; to dissipate or vanish through scattering.

- The morning fog began to disperse as the sun got higher.
- The heavy smoke from the factory fire took several hours to disperse, even with the help of a strong coastal breeze.

### 3. to spread information

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to spread information or knowledge to many people.

For teachers: to disseminate or distribute information, knowledge, or culture widely.

- The internet allows us to disperse news across the world instantly.
- The organisation aims to disperse educational resources to remote villages that lack access to traditional schooling.

### 4. to separate light

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to separate light into different colours.

For teachers: to separate light into its spectral components or different wavelengths through refraction.

- A prism can disperse a beam of white light into a rainbow.
- The glass droplets in the atmosphere disperse sunlight, creating the optical phenomenon we recognise as a rainbow.

## Examples

- The crowd began to disperse after the concert ended.
- Police officers used loudspeakers to ask the protesters to disperse and clear the main road.
- In autumn, many plants rely on the wind to disperse their seeds across the valley, ensuring that new growth is not concentrated in a single, overcrowded area.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.