disruptive
disruptive Lexical Profile
disruptive Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Causing or tending to cause disorder, interruption, or turmoil that prevents an event, activity, or process from continuing normally.
"The teacher had to address the student's disruptive behavior so the rest of the class could focus on the lesson."
Relating to an innovative product, service, or technology that radically alters an existing industry or creates an entirely new market, displacing established competitors.
"Digital streaming proved to be a disruptive technology that fundamentally changed how consumers access music and films."
Word Nuance & Usage
While traditionally negative when describing unruly behavior or disturbances, 'disruptive' carries a strongly positive connotation in modern business and technology to describe bold innovations that transform an entire industry.
• Rhymes for disruptive
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the mid-19th century from the Latin past participle stem 'disrupt-', from 'disrumpere' meaning 'to break apart' ('dis-' apart + 'rumpere' to break), combined with the adjective-forming suffix '-ive'.