decomposition
gb/dˌikəmpoʊzˈɪʃən/ us/dˌikəmpoʊzˈɪʃən/
B2
English
lebomlás, bomlás, részekre bontás, felbontás, modulokra bontás
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
decomposition of [organic material]
Decomposition of fallen leaves returns nutrients to the soil.
A lehullott levelek lebomlása visszajuttatja a tápanyagokat a talajba.
Warm, wet conditions speed up decomposition.
A meleg, nedves körülmények felgyorsítják a lebomlást.
In a compost bin, decomposition happens faster when the pile is turned regularly.
Learner examples
Food decomposition can smell bad.
Az étel bomlása kellemetlen szaggal járhat.
Leaves decompose in the ground.
A levelek a talajban lebomlanak.
Common mistake:
Often confused with decomposition meaning “analysis” or “breaking a problem into parts.”
Meaning
natural breakdown of organic matter
Collocations
organic decomposition
|natural decomposition
|rapid decomposition
|slow decomposition
|the decomposition of leaves
|the decomposition of wood
|the decomposition of waste
|decomposition in soil
|decomposition in water
|decomposition occurs
Synonyms
decay (More general and common; less scientific.)
|
rotting (More informal and vivid.)
Antonyms
preservation (Keeping something from decaying.)
Themes
nature
|science
|environment
Definition
the process of rotting and breaking down naturally
The natural process in which dead plants, animals, or other organic material break down into simpler substances, especially through the action of bacteria and fungi.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
2
bomlás
B2
Usage pattern:
in (a) decomposition; in a state of decomposition
The remains were found in an advanced state of decomposition.
A maradványokat előrehaladott bomlási állapotban találták meg.
Because of the heat, decomposition was already noticeable after a few days.
A hőség miatt a bomlás már néhány nap után észrevehető volt.
The report described the extent of decomposition at the scene.
Learner examples
The meat was in decomposition.
A hús bomlásnak indult.
The body was in a state of decomposition.
A holttest bomlási állapotban volt.
Common mistake:
Learners may use decomposition as a countable noun (*a decomposition*) in this sense; it is usually uncountable.
Meaning
being partly or fully decayed
Collocations
advanced decomposition
|visible decomposition
|signs of decomposition
|stages of decomposition
|a state of decomposition
|the body showed decomposition
|early decomposition
|severe decomposition
|postmortem decomposition
|odor of decomposition
Synonyms
decay (Broader; not as specific to post-death contexts.)
|
putrefaction (More technical and strongly associated with dead tissue.)
Antonyms
freshness (The opposite condition of not being decayed.)
Themes
health
|crime
|science
Definition
the condition of being rotten or decayed
The condition of having decayed or started to rot, especially when describing a dead body or other organic material.
NOUN
C1
3
Usage pattern:
decomposition of [a problem/task/system] (into [parts])
A clear decomposition of the problem helped the team find a solution.
A probléma világos részekre bontása segített a csapatnak megoldást találni.
The course teaches decomposition: turning a big task into smaller, manageable steps.
A tanfolyam azt tanítja, hogyan bontsunk egy nagy feladatot kisebb, kezelhető lépésekre.
Her essay begins with a careful decomposition of the author’s argument.
Learner examples
We used decomposition to solve the problem.
A problémát részekre bontva oldottuk meg.
Break the task down with decomposition.
A feladatot részekre bontva oldd meg.
Common mistake:
Not used for physical damage; for physical breaking, learners often want “breakage” or “damage.”
Meaning
breaking something into smaller parts
Collocations
problem decomposition
|task decomposition
|decomposition into parts
|decomposition into steps
|logical decomposition
|step-by-step decomposition
|decomposition of an argument
|decomposition of a process
|functional decomposition
|decomposition approach
Synonyms
breakdown (More common and less formal; can also mean a failure.)
|
analysis (Focuses on studying something, not necessarily splitting it into parts.)
Antonyms
synthesis (Combining parts to form a whole.)
Themes
education
|work
|problem_solving
Definition
dividing something difficult into smaller parts to study it
The act or method of separating something complex into simpler parts in order to understand it, explain it, or deal with it.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
4
bomlás
B2
Usage pattern:
decomposition of [a compound] (into [products])
At high temperatures, the compound undergoes decomposition into simpler gases.
Magas hőmérsékleten a vegyület egyszerűbb gázokra bomlik.
The lab measured the decomposition products released during heating.
A labor a hevítés során felszabaduló bomlástermékeket mérte.
Light can cause the decomposition of some unstable chemicals.
Learner examples
Heat caused decomposition of the chemical.
A hő hatására a vegyi anyag bomlani kezdett.
The reaction was a decomposition.
Ez a reakció bomlásreakció volt.
Common mistake:
In chemistry, decomposition is a type of reaction, not just “rotting.”
Meaning
chemical breakdown into simpler substances
Collocations
chemical decomposition
|thermal decomposition
|photochemical decomposition
|decomposition reaction
|decomposition products
|decomposition temperature
|catalytic decomposition
|decomposition pathway
|decomposition occurs
|undergo decomposition
Synonyms
breakdown (More general; can describe chemical change without naming the reaction type.)
Antonyms
synthesis (A reaction where simpler substances combine to form a compound.)
Themes
science
|chemistry
|education
Definition
a reaction where one chemical becomes simpler chemicals
A chemical process in which a compound breaks down into simpler substances, often triggered by heat, light, electricity, or the presence of a catalyst.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
5
felbontás
B2
Usage pattern:
decomposition of [a number/matrix] (into [components])
Prime decomposition expresses a number as a product of primes.
A prímtényezős felbontás egy számot prímszámok szorzataként ír fel.
The algorithm relies on a matrix decomposition to speed up computation.
Az algoritmus a számítás felgyorsításához mátrixfelbontásra támaszkodik.
Students practiced decomposition to rewrite fractions in simpler forms.
Learner examples
We used decomposition to factor the number.
A szám tényezőkre bontásához felbontási módszert használtunk.
The matrix decomposition helped the calculation.
A mátrixfelbontás megkönnyítette a számítást.
Common mistake:
Often confused with “composition” in math (building a function), which is a different idea.
Meaning
representing something as component parts
Collocations
prime decomposition
|matrix decomposition
|factor decomposition
|spectral decomposition
|decomposition into factors
|decomposition into eigenvalues
|decomposition theorem
|a decomposition method
|unique decomposition
|orthogonal decomposition
Synonyms
factorization (Common for numbers/polynomials; one specific type of decomposition.)
|
expansion (General term for rewriting in a sum/series; not always a decomposition.)
Antonyms
composition (Combining simpler mappings or parts to build a more complex object.)
Themes
math
|education
|technology
Definition
writing a number or matrix as simpler parts
A method of expressing a mathematical object (such as a number, function, or matrix) as a combination of simpler components, often to make it easier to analyze or compute with.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
6
Usage pattern:
decomposition of [a system/project] into [modules/components]
The team used decomposition to split the application into independent services.
A csapat az alkalmazást egymástól független szolgáltatásokra bontotta.
Good decomposition makes complex projects easier to manage.
A jó modulokra bontás könnyebben kezelhetővé teszi az összetett projekteket.
The design document includes a decomposition of the system into core modules.
Learner examples
We did decomposition to plan the project.
A projekt megtervezéséhez modulokra bontást végeztünk.
Decomposition helped us build the system.
A modulokra bontás segített a rendszer felépítésében.
Common mistake:
In project management, “decomposition” is not the same as “deadline breakdown”; it means dividing the work into parts.
Meaning
dividing a system into modules
Collocations
functional decomposition
|system decomposition
|module decomposition
|architectural decomposition
|decomposition into components
|decomposition into services
|top-down decomposition
|design decomposition
|decomposition strategy
|decomposition diagram
Synonyms
modularization (Emphasizes designing as modules; common in software.)
|
partitioning (More general; can be used in systems, data, or networks.)
Antonyms
integration (Putting separate parts together into a unified system.)
Themes
technology
|engineering
|business
Definition
splitting a system into smaller parts to build it
In engineering or software, the process of dividing a complex system into smaller subsystems or modules so it can be designed, built, or maintained more easily.
Grammar
Dictionary form
decomposition
IPA
GB/dˌikəmpoʊzˈɪʃən/
US/dˌikəmpoʊzˈɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
de - com - pos - i - tion (5 syllables)
Stress on 4th syllable (i)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: decomposition
- Plural: decomposition, decompositions
Word family
Forms
decompositions
noun
Core family
Related words
composer
noun B2
decomposer
noun
Advanced or less common
decomposable
adjective
Expressions
advanced state of decomposition
1/ədvˈænst stˈeɪt əv dˌikəmpoʊzˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
very far along in decay
very decayed
Examples
- The remains were in an advanced state of decomposition.
- Because of the temperature, the animal carcass reached an advanced state of decomposition quickly.
- Investigators could not identify the body due to the advanced state of decomposition.
Learner examples
- It was in an advanced state of decomposition.
decomposition reaction
1/dˌikəmpoʊzˈɪʃən ɹiˈækʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
one compound splits into substances
a reaction where one chemical becomes two or more chemicals
Examples
- The teacher gave an example of a decomposition reaction in which a compound breaks apart when heated.
- Electrolysis can drive a decomposition reaction.
- They identified the products of the decomposition reaction using spectroscopy.
Learner examples
- This is a decomposition reaction.
functional decomposition
1/fˈʌŋkʃənəl dˌikəmpoʊzˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
splitting work into smaller functions
dividing a system into smaller jobs it does
Examples
- Functional decomposition helped the team define clear responsibilities for each module.
- The report includes a functional decomposition of the manufacturing process.
- They started with functional decomposition before choosing the system architecture.
in a state of decomposition
1/ˈɪn ə stˈeɪt əv dˌikəmpoʊzˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
already decaying or rotting
already rotting
Examples
- The body was in a state of decomposition when it was discovered.
- After several days in the heat, the fish were in a state of decomposition.
- The report noted that the remains were in a state of decomposition.
Learner examples
- The food was in a state of decomposition.
matrix decomposition
1/mˈeɪtɹɪks dˌikəmpoʊzˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
splitting a matrix into factors
rewriting a matrix using simpler matrices
Examples
- The solver uses matrix decomposition to compute the solution efficiently.
- QR is one common type of matrix decomposition.
- They compared different matrix decomposition methods for numerical stability.
prime decomposition
1/pɹˈaɪm dˌikəmpoʊzˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
writing a number as primes
showing a number as a product of primes
Examples
- Find the prime decomposition of 84.
- Prime decomposition helps you simplify fractions.
- The worksheet asked students to write a prime decomposition for each number.
Learner examples
- The prime decomposition of 12 is 2 × 2 × 3.
rate of decomposition
1/ɹˈeɪt əv dˌikəmpoʊzˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
speed of decaying
how fast something decays
Examples
- Scientists measured the rate of decomposition of leaf litter in different forests.
- Oxygen levels can affect the rate of decomposition in wetlands.
- The rate of decomposition increases when the soil is warm and moist.
Learner examples
- Warm weather increases the rate of decomposition.
thermal decomposition
1/θˈɚməl dˌikəmpoʊzˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
breakdown caused by heat
a chemical breaks apart because of heat
Examples
- The experiment demonstrated thermal decomposition at 300°C.
- Thermal decomposition can produce gases that must be vented safely.
- Some plastics release toxic fumes during thermal decomposition.
Learner examples
- Heat can cause thermal decomposition.