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Definition of derailment

derailment

/dɪˈreɪlmənt/
de · rail · ment
Plural:derailments
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derailment Lexical Profile

derailment Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

The accidental coming off the tracks of a train or other railway vehicle.

Example

"Heavy rainfall washed away the embankment and caused a freight train derailment near the station."

2

The obstruction, disruption, or diversion of a planned process, negotiation, or course of action.

Example

"The sudden withdrawal of the main sponsor led to the derailment of the entire research project."

3

In psychiatry, a thought disorder characterized by a pattern of speech in which a person's ideas slip off one track onto another that is unrelated or only obliquely related.

Example

"During the clinical interview, the patient exhibited noticeable cognitive derailment, jumping abruptly between disconnected topics."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for derailment

• Nearby Words

derail
derailer
derailleur
derailment
derange
deranged
derangement

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the mid-19th century from French déraillement, a derivative of the verb dérailler ('to go off the rails'), formed from dé- ('off') and rail ('railway track', itself borrowed from English).

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Derailment. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/derailment
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