dissolution

noun

dis·​so·​lu·​tion ˌdi-sə-ˈlü-shən 

1

: the act or process of dissolving: such as

a

: separation into component parts

b(1)

: decay, disintegration

(2)

: death

grew convinced of his friend's approaching dissolution

—Elinor Wylie

c

: termination or destruction by breaking down, disrupting, or dispersing

the dissolution of the republic

their marriage's dissolution

d

: the dissolving of an assembly or organization

the dissolution of the legislature

e

chemistry : liquefaction

the dissolution of ice

2

: a dissolute or indulgent act or practice

Did you know?

Dissolution is the noun form of dissolve, but it's a much less common word. Still, we refer to the fact that the dissolution of American marriages became far more common in the later 20th century. Or that when India won its independence in 1947, the dissolution of the once-global British empire was all but complete. Or that factors such as crime and drugs might be contributing to the dissolution of contemporary society's moral fabric. A dissolute person is someone in whom all restraint has dissolved, and who now indulges in behavior that shocks decent people.

Synonyms

• bifurcation
• breakup
• cleavage
• disunion
• division
• fractionalization
• fractionation
• partition
• schism
• scission
• separation
• split
• sundering

Examples of dissolution in a Sentence

the dissolution of the marriage

the dissolution of old beliefs

The treatment is used for the dissolution of kidney stones.

Recent Examples on the Web

Prescott presents the dissolution of the monasteries from the numerous interlaced viewpoints of ordinary people – nuns made homeless, devout country people bewildered, the instigators of the Pilgrimage of Grace heading towards their ghastly ends. —The Week Uk, theweek, 6 Dec. 2024

The high-voltage operation leads to issues such as transition metal dissolution, corrosion stress cracking and electrolyte oxidation, which result in poor coulombic efficiency and short cycle life. —Matthew Dawson, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024

Roughly 500 residents will vote on whether or not to dissolve their quaint village after a petition to vote on dissolution raised over 90 signatures. —Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 25 Oct. 2024

This searing manual deconstructs the subgenre and the process that goes into contributing to it, bringing the study thereof into a whole new era of experimentation and boundary dissolution. —Tyler Thier, JSTOR Daily, 21 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see dissolute

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

dissolution

noun

dis·​so·​lu·​tion ˌdis-ə-ˈlü-shən 

1

: the action or process of dissolving

2

: the ending or breaking up of an assembly or a partnership or corporation

Medical Definition

dissolution

noun

dis·​so·​lu·​tion ˌdis-ə-ˈlü-shən 

: the act or process of dissolving: as

a

: separation into component parts

b

: death sense 1

grew convinced of his friend's approaching dissolution

—Elinor Wylie

c

: liquefaction

d

: solution sense 1a

Legal Definition

dissolution

noun

dis·​so·​lu·​tion ˌdi-sə-ˈlü-shən 

: the act or process of ending: as

a

: the termination of an organized body (as a court)

b

: the ending of a partnership relationship caused by the withdrawal of one of the partners from the relationship

c

: the termination of a corporation

— involuntary dissolution

: dissolution of a corporation by a court in response to a shareholder petition based on statutorily prescribed grounds

— voluntary dissolution

: dissolution of a corporation upon the initiative of the directors and with approval of a certain percentage of the shareholders

d

: the termination of an injunction or stay by court order

e

: the termination of a marriage by divorce