ENGLISH
REFERENCE

disruption

n. C / U
C1 Advanced Oxford US //dɪsˈɹəpʃən// UK //dɪsɹˈʌpʃən// dis·rup·tion

n. a situation where something is stopped from continuing in its normal way. It often causes problems or delays for people.

n. a disturbance that interrupts an event, activity, or process. Often used in business contexts to describe innovations that fundamentally alter market structures.


SIMPLE

The heavy snow caused a major disruption to train services.

CONTEXTUAL

The sudden change in leadership caused significant disruption to the company's daily operations and long-term planning.

COMPLEX

Technological disruption in the publishing industry has forced traditional media outlets to reconsider their subscription models in order to remain competitive in a digital-first landscape.

Synonyms
Origin

From Latin disruptionem, from disrumpere. By surface analysis, disrupt + -ion.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the general state of being interrupted; countable when referring to a specific instance or event.

© 2026 English Reference