disruptive
adjective
dis·rup·tive
dis-ˈrəp-tiv 
: disrupting or tending to disrupt some process, activity, condition, etc. : causing or tending to cause disruption
a disruptive weather pattern
It is hoped that, if the child learns that disruptive behavior brings no rewards, his tantrums will diminish and perhaps stop.—
Susan Sheehan
Susan SheehanIn recent years, airlines began to carry plastic handcuffs as a way to restrain disruptive passengers.—Erik Holm
Erik HolmOther teammates marvel at how easily he morphs from a mild-mannered family man in the locker room into a disruptive force on the field.—Jefri Chadiha
Jefri Chadiha
disruptively
adverb
acting disruptively
disruptiveness
noun
… the disruptiveness of climatic change will depend strongly on the rate of change.
—Roger Revelle
Roger Revelle
Examples of disruptive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
No one can offer complete job security in a disruptive environment.
—Jani Hirvonen, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
In less than five months, Elon Musk has had a disruptive impact on the U.S. government, leading huge decisions that have reshaped federal agencies despite holding no permanent role in Washington.
—Tom Norton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
Listen to this article The Aurora City Council on Tuesday night approved new rules that crack down on disruptive car meetups and street racing, which police have said are a problem in Aurora and across the country.
—R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2025
In 2022, she was ranked among the top five Nurse Influencers on LinkedIn by industry sources and was also inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing for her efforts to combat disruptive behaviors in healthcare.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for disruptive
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Jani Hirvonen, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
In less than five months, Elon Musk has had a disruptive impact on the U.S. government, leading huge decisions that have reshaped federal agencies despite holding no permanent role in Washington.
—Tom Norton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
Listen to this article The Aurora City Council on Tuesday night approved new rules that crack down on disruptive car meetups and street racing, which police have said are a problem in Aurora and across the country.
—R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2025
In 2022, she was ranked among the top five Nurse Influencers on LinkedIn by industry sources and was also inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing for her efforts to combat disruptive behaviors in healthcare.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for disruptive
Cite this Entry
“Disruptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disruptive. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
disruptive
adjective
dis·rup·tive
dis-ˈrəp-tiv
: characterized by psychologically disorganized behavior
a confused, incoherent, and disruptive patient in the manic phase
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