# dispersion

/dɪˈspɝʒən/ (US) · /dɪspˈɜːʃən/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dispersion
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

the way things or people are spread out over a wide area. It can also describe how light breaks into different colors, like in a rainbow.

For teachers: the action or process of distributing things or people over a wide area; in physics, the separation of light into spectral components. Often used in statistical contexts to describe the spread of values around a mean.

## Examples

- The dispersion of seeds happens through wind and water.
- The rapid dispersion of the crowd after the concert made it easy for traffic to flow again.
- In optical fibers, chromatic dispersion can cause signal distortion over long distances, requiring specialized equipment to maintain data integrity.

## Usage notes

- Uncountable when referring to the general process of spreading; countable when referring to specific patterns or instances in statistics or physics.

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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.