PoliticsAugust 17, 2026

disintegration

dis-in-ti-GRAY-shun

Definition

The process of falling apart, breaking down, or the loss of structural integrity and cohesion.

Etymology

The word comes from the Latin 'dis-' (apart) and 'integer' (whole/intact). It entered English in the 17th century to describe the act of breaking a whole entity into separate parts.

In the news

Yabloko party leaders used this term to describe the collapse of the Russian judicial system's integrity, implying it has lost its ability to function according to the rule of law.

Russian court sentences anti-war politician Shlosberg to 11 years in jail

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