disintegration

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dis·in·te·gra·tion / disˌintəˈgrāshən/ • n. the process of losing cohesion: the twin problems of economic failure and social disintegration. ∎  the process of coming to pieces: the disintegration of infected cells. ∎  breakdown of the personality: loss of self-esteem leads to the disintegration of a proud man. ∎  Physics a process in which a nucleus or other subatomic particle emits a smaller particle or divides into smaller particles.

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