disrupt

Disrupt is a transitive verb meaning to interrupt or disturb something so that it ceases to operate normally. It can describe actions that break the continuity of an event, process, or activity, or that cause disorder within a system. The verb derives from Latin disruptus, from dis- “apart” and rumpere “to break”; in English it entered usage in the late 15th century with senses related to breaking or interrupting.

In modern usage, disrupt is frequently applied in business and technology to describe radical changes that shift markets or industries. A disruption can result from new technologies, business models, or regulatory changes that render prior approaches obsolete. The related noun disruption denotes the act or instance of such disturbance. The term disrupt or disruptive is often framed with both positive and negative connotations: it may create new opportunities and improve products, or unsettle incumbents. The concept of disruptive innovation, popularized by Clayton Christensen, describes innovations that initially serve niche markets but eventually displace established firms.

Disrupt is commonly used with objects: disrupt traffic, disrupt a meeting, disrupt a process. In formal writing, it is useful to distinguish disrupt from interrupt; disruption refers to the state or effect, whereas to interrupt is the act of stopping temporarily. Disruptive as an adjective describes processes or technologies that enable sweeping changes across markets or operations.