English Reference

Word

dissipation

Phoneticsdis·si·pa·tion

US/ˌdɪsɪˈpeɪʃən/

UK/dˌɪsɪpˈeɪʃən/

Definition

n. the process of energy or heat spreading out and being lost to the surroundings. In physics, it often describes how a wave or signal weakens as it moves through a medium.

n. the process of energy, heat, or matter being dispersed or lost to the environment. In a physical context, it refers to the reduction in the amplitude of a wave or signal as it propagates through a medium.

Examples

“The dissipation of heat is important for cooling electronic devices.”

“Engineers must account for the dissipation of energy in the transmission lines to ensure the signal remains strong at the receiver.”

“The rapid dissipation of the storm's energy over the cold ocean waters prevented it from reaching the mainland with its full force.”

Examples

simple

“The dissipation of heat is important for cooling electronic devices.”

contextual

“Engineers must account for the dissipation of energy in the transmission lines to ensure the signal remains strong at the receiver.”

complex

“The rapid dissipation of the storm's energy over the cold ocean waters prevented it from reaching the mainland with its full force.”

Real-World Examples

“But other materials still have their fans, as they can offer distinct combinations of weight, stiffness, and vibration dissipation.”
Ars Technica · 26 Aug 2026
“In this context, dissipation refers to the portion of photons that are not reflected and instead pass through the metamaterial's surface.”
ScienceDaily · 31 Jul 2026

Etymology

From Middle English dissipacion, dissipacioun, from Late Latin dissipātiō. Morphologically dissipate + -ion.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

dissipateVerbdissipationNoun

Domain

Physics

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference