noun

disruption

/dɪsˈrʌpʃən/ · say it: dis·RUP·shun

innovation that displaces established ways of doing business

In Business & Marketing

In more detail

1. (noun) the act of interrupting something or preventing it from continuing normally

2. (noun) a serious disturbance or problem that affects a system or activity

Examples

The protest caused a major disruption to traffic on the highway.
The power outage created disruption across the entire city.

How to use disruption

Disruption emphasizes both the interruption itself and the resulting disorder or negative impact on normal functioning. It is commonly used in business, technology, and social contexts to describe significant disturbances. While 'interruption' is more neutral, 'disruption' carries a stronger sense of serious interference and unwanted consequence.

Common phrases

cause disruption
service disruption
market disruption
minimize disruption
due to disruption
avoid disruption

Synonyms

interruption · disturbance · interference · obstruction · upheaval

Opposites

continuity · stability · harmony

Word family

disrupt (verb) · disruptive (adjective) · disruptively (adverb)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes use 'disruption' as a countable noun in contexts where 'a disruption' is awkward; it is often used as an uncountable abstract noun (e.g., 'there was service disruption' rather than 'a service disruption').

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