- lack of rational connection or cohesion
- a break or interruption
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
dis•con•ti•nu•i•ty /ˌdɪskɑntənˈuɪti, -ˈyu-/USA pronunciation
n., pl. -ties.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- lack of continuity;
irregular development or progress:[uncountable]a time of discontinuity in the artist's life. - a break or gap:[countable]a discontinuity in the growth of her self-esteem.
dis•con•ti•nu•i•ty
(dis′kon tn o̅o̅′i tē, -yo̅o̅′-),USA pronunciation n., pl. -ties.
- lack of continuity;
irregularity:The plot of the book was marred by discontinuity. - a break or gap:The surface of the moon is characterized by major discontinuities.
- Mathematicsa point at which a function is not continuous.
- Geologya zone deep within the earth where the velocity of earthquake waves changes radically.
- Medieval Latin discontinuitās. See discontinuous, -ity
- 1560–70
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
discontinuity /dɪsˌkɒntɪˈnjuːɪtɪ/ n ( pl -ties)
'discontinuity' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
break
- crust
- singularity
- tropopause
- absorption edge
- convergent boundary
- defect
- dislocation
- essential
- jump
- jump discontinuity
- Mohole
- Mohorovičić discontinuity
- removable
- unconformable
- unconformity
- saltation