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
The relentless pursuit of the top spot on a Google search results page is being superseded by a more profound and disruptive force: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
—Christer Holloman, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Wale Ayeni is the managing partner of Helios Digital Ventures, which has invested in disruptive technologies including blockchain companies.
—Wale Ayeni, semafor.com, 14 July 2025
Eggs are a staple in American diets, making such recalls especially far-reaching and disruptive.
—Matt Cannon, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
The hacks in question were highly disruptive to internal software systems at M&S (a Target-like retailer) and Co-op (a major supermarket chain), leading to bare shelves and lost profits—£300m at M&S alone, by its own calculations.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for disruptive
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Christer Holloman, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Wale Ayeni is the managing partner of Helios Digital Ventures, which has invested in disruptive technologies including blockchain companies.
—Wale Ayeni, semafor.com, 14 July 2025
Eggs are a staple in American diets, making such recalls especially far-reaching and disruptive.
—Matt Cannon, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
The hacks in question were highly disruptive to internal software systems at M&S (a Target-like retailer) and Co-op (a major supermarket chain), leading to bare shelves and lost profits—£300m at M&S alone, by its own calculations.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 11 July 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 20 Jul. 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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