'disorganize' originates from the prefix 'dis-' meaning 'apart' or 'away' and the word 'organize' from the Greek 'organon' meaning 'tool' or 'instrument'.

'disorganize' evolved from the French word 'désorganiser', which was adopted into English in the late 18th century.

Initially, it meant 'to break apart the organization of something', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.