# dissociation

> English word · Noun · IPA /dɪˌsəʊʃiˈeɪʃən/ · frequency rank #35,260

## Definitions
1. The act of dissociating or disuniting; a state of separation; disunion.
2. The process by which a compound body breaks up into simpler constituents; said particularly of the action of heat on gaseous or volatile substances.
3. A defence mechanism where certain thoughts or mental processes are compartmentalised in order to avoid emotional stress to the conscious mind.

## Etymology
Borrowed from French dissociation, from Latin dissociātiō(n).

## Easily confused with
- **dissociative** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dissociation-vs-dissociative)
- **dislocation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dislocation-vs-dissociation)

## Common misspellings (16)
`ddissociation`, `disociation`, `disosciation`, `disscoiation`, `dissocaition`, `dissocciation`, `dissociaiton`, `dissociasion`, `dissociatino`, `dissociationn`, `dissociatoin`, `dissociattion`, `dissocitaion`, `dissoication`, `dsisociation`, `idssociation`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/dissociation