dissipation

noun

ˌdi-sə-ˈpā-shən How to pronounce dissipation (audio)
Definition of dissipationnext
1
as in degradation
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior the wasting of a once promising life in dissipation and drunkenness

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2
as in dispersion
an act or process in which something scatters or is scattered the dissipation of the clouds by the early morning winds

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dissipation Positive qualities—promptness, diligence, cheerfulness—sped up your ascent through the ranks; negative ones—laziness, dissipation, late mornings—slowed it down. — Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026 Heat dissipation Shedding waste heat is a significant problem—and probably the biggest challenge in orbit. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026 In addition to potentially offering low-cost, low-dissipation computing, thermodynamic computing might also offer insights into the way natural complex systems work. — Quanta Magazine, 15 July 2026 And why not take the path of reconciliation rather than the drama, the needless drama of further disunion, and dissipation and violence perhaps? — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dissipation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissipation
  1. degradation
  2. dispersion
  3. corruption
  4. dispersal
  5. scattering
Noun
  • Since optical switches aren’t subject to the same amount of degradation as traditional mechanical switches, the representative argued, users won’t need to swap them over time.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026
  • There are also practical questions around battery degradation, consumer compensation, privacy, and who gets to control an asset in someone’s home.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of degradation
Noun
  • The initiative will bring together computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations with digital twins to rapidly model ammonia dispersion following a leak.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In turn, yields in the credit market are also climbing, and dispersion is broadening.
    — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of dispersion
Noun
  • East of Eden is a tome obsessed with guilt, sin, ambition, race, the land as healing and capitalism as putrefying, the nature of fate and the question of free will, and the role money and inheritance play in either our corruption or our cleansing.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Brown, who served as the union’s chief of staff and as special assistant to ex-International President Newton Jones, is the first of eight former Boilermakers to be sentenced in the federal corruption case.
    — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of corruption
Noun
  • The team then used the ridges and scarps in regions less affected by the dispersal of debris to estimate the amount of contraction.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Arson was reportedly among the cruel methods of dispersal, though the officers’ crimes were denied and ignored by the State.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of dispersal
Noun
  • This scattering also polarizes the light; the amount of polarization seen depends on the incoming light’s angle with respect to the observer.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
  • This scattering of light and even electromagnetic radiation by particles that are smaller than the wavelength of the radiation opens up the possibility of signals reaching the receiver, even when the transmitter is not in line-of-sight.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of scattering

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dissipation
dissipations
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Cite this Entry

“Dissipation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissipation. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dissipation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dissipation

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