disestablishment
|dis-es-tab-lish-ment|
🇺🇸
/ˌdɪsəˈstæblɪʃmənt/
🇬🇧
/ˌdɪsɪˈstæblɪʃmənt/
undoing an established institution
Etymology
'disestablishment' originates from Latin-derived prefix 'dis-' and the word 'establishment' (from English). The prefix 'dis-' (from Latin 'dis-') meant 'apart, away, not', and 'establishment' comes from 'establish' + the noun-forming suffix '-ment'.
'establish' entered English from Old French 'establir' (also spelled 'establiss-') which in turn came from Latin 'stabilire'/'stabilis' meaning 'to make firm' or 'stable'. The compound 'dis-' + 'establish' produced 'disestablish' in modern English, and 'disestablishment' followed as the noun form.
Initially, 'establish' carried the sense 'to make firm or set up'; over time 'disestablishment' came to mean the undoing or removal of an established status (especially the legal status of a state church).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the action or process of abolishing the official status of an established church, institution, or practice (especially the separation of church and state).
The disestablishment of the national church was debated in Parliament for years.
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Noun 2
the removal, dissolution, or termination of an established organization, institution, or official status more generally (not necessarily religious).
The company's sudden disestablishment left many employees without work.
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Last updated: 2025/10/25 03:31