discontinuity
noun
dis·con·ti·nu·ity
(ˌ)dis-ˌkän-tə-ˈnü-ə-tē 
-ˈnyü-
1
: lack of continuity or cohesion
2
3
a
: the property of being not mathematically continuous
a point of discontinuity
b
: an instance of being not mathematically continuous
especially
: a value of an independent variable at which a function is not continuous
Synonyms
Examples of discontinuity in a Sentence
There is a sense of discontinuity between the book's chapters.
microscopic discontinuities in the connecting wires
Recent Examples on the Web
If our civilization suffers some kind of severe discontinuity, future archaeologists may need to dig this place up to get a hint as to how things went so wrong.
—
Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 24 Oct. 2024
This trait formed what Ella and I came to call a telescoping process, with parts stretching back across time, marking the discontinuity between past and present, and then collapsing it.
—Rebecca J. Lester, Scientific American, 1 June 2023
If governments do not recognize this, the world will confront some jarring discontinuities in the years ahead, including new economic and security threats that will reconfigure global politics.
—Jason Bordoff, Foreign Affairs, 30 Nov. 2021
The name was a play on the Mohorovičić discontinuity, or Moho, which defines the boundary between the crust and mantle.
—Quanta Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for discontinuity 
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Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 24 Oct. 2024
This trait formed what Ella and I came to call a telescoping process, with parts stretching back across time, marking the discontinuity between past and present, and then collapsing it.
—Rebecca J. Lester, Scientific American, 1 June 2023
If governments do not recognize this, the world will confront some jarring discontinuities in the years ahead, including new economic and security threats that will reconfigure global politics.
—Jason Bordoff, Foreign Affairs, 30 Nov. 2021
The name was a play on the Mohorovičić discontinuity, or Moho, which defines the boundary between the crust and mantle.
—Quanta Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for discontinuity
Dictionary Entries Near discontinuity
Cite this Entry
“Discontinuity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discontinuity. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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