fragmentation
gb/fɹˌæɡmɛntˈeɪʃən/ us/fɹˌæɡmɛntˈeɪʃən/
C1
Anglais
Sens
0 sens
Nom
C1
process
1
breaking into many small pieces
when something breaks into many small pieces
Schéma d’usage :
fragmentation of [material/object]
Erreur fréquente :
Often used with 'of' (the fragmentation of X). 'Fragmentation' is usually uncountable in this sense.
Synonymes
breakup (more general and less technical)
|
shattering (emphasizes violent breaking into pieces)
|
splitting (often suggests fewer, larger parts)
Antonymes
integration (putting parts together into a whole)
|
fusion (joining into one mass or unit)
Collocations
fragmentation of rock
|fragmentation of glass
|thermal fragmentation
|rapid fragmentation
|further fragmentation
|cause fragmentation
|lead to fragmentation
|prevent fragmentation
|degree of fragmentation
|fragmentation process
Thèmes
materials
|science
|everyday_life
Exemples
- The impact caused the fragmentation of the ceramic tile into dozens of pieces.
- Engineers studied the fragmentation pattern to understand how the material failed.
- Temperature changes can speed up the fragmentation of certain rocks.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The glass broke, and fragmentation scattered pieces everywhere.
- Scientists measured the fragmentation of the sample.
Nom
C1
process
2
splitting into smaller groups
when one big group becomes many smaller groups
Schéma d’usage :
fragmentation of [group/system/field]
Erreur fréquente :
Not the same as 'segmentation' (which can be planned and neutral); 'fragmentation' often suggests problems or weakness.
Synonymes
division (more neutral; may not imply dysfunction)
|
splintering (emphasizes breaking into many factions)
|
disunity (focuses on lack of agreement rather than structure)
Antonymes
unity (being joined and working together)
|
cohesion (sticking together as a group)
Collocations
political fragmentation
|social fragmentation
|fragmentation of authority
|fragmentation of power
|increasing fragmentation
|fragmentation within the party
|fragmentation of the workforce
|regional fragmentation
|institutional fragmentation
|risk of fragmentation
Thèmes
society
|politics
|business
Exemples
- The merger was meant to stop fragmentation across the company’s regional teams.
- Experts warned that fragmentation of the opposition would benefit the ruling party.
- Fragmentation in the market makes it harder for any single brand to stand out.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Fragmentation can make a group weaker.
- The team suffered from fragmentation after the argument.
Nom
C1
state
3
condition of being broken up
a situation where parts are separated and not together
Schéma d’usage :
[the] fragmentation of [information/effort/resources]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes use it where 'variety' is meant; 'fragmentation' implies separation and often inefficiency.
Synonymes
scattering (emphasizes being spread out over an area or sources)
|
disconnection (emphasizes lack of links between parts)
Antonymes
coordination (parts working together effectively)
|
consolidation (combining into fewer, larger units)
Collocations
information fragmentation
|fragmentation of effort
|fragmentation of services
|fragmentation of resources
|administrative fragmentation
|severe fragmentation
|high fragmentation
|reduce fragmentation
|address fragmentation
|problems of fragmentation
Thèmes
communication
|society
|technology
Exemples
- Fragmentation of customer data across different systems slowed down support.
- The report highlights the fragmentation of public services across multiple agencies.
- We need a shared platform to reduce fragmentation and duplication of work.
Exemples pédagogiques
- There is too much fragmentation in our notes.
- Fragmentation makes work harder.
Nom
technical
C1
state
4
scattered storage in computing
when computer files are stored in many separate parts
Schéma d’usage :
fragmentation on/in [disk/memory/system]
Erreur fréquente :
Not the same as 'corruption' (damaged data); fragmentation is about where pieces are stored.
Synonymes
scattered allocation (describes the same idea but is less common)
Antonymes
contiguous allocation (data stored in one continuous block)
|
defragmentation (the process of reducing fragmentation)
Collocations
disk fragmentation
|memory fragmentation
|file fragmentation
|fragmentation level
|severe fragmentation
|fragmentation issue
|reduce fragmentation
|fragmentation overhead
|fragmentation on the drive
|fragmentation in the heap
Thèmes
computing
|technology
Exemples
- After months of heavy use, the old hard drive showed noticeable fragmentation.
- The update reduced memory fragmentation and improved app performance.
- Solid-state drives handle fragmentation differently from traditional hard drives.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Fragmentation can slow down an old computer.
- The tool checks the disk for fragmentation.
Nom
technical
C1
process
5
splitting natural areas into parts
when one big natural area becomes many smaller ones
Schéma d’usage :
fragmentation of [habitat/forest/landscape]
Erreur fréquente :
Often confused with 'deforestation'; fragmentation can happen even when some trees remain, if the area is split up.
Synonymes
habitat breakup (less formal phrasing of the same idea)
Antonymes
connectivity (habitats linked so species can move between them)
|
restoration (improving or rebuilding intact habitats)
Collocations
habitat fragmentation
|forest fragmentation
|landscape fragmentation
|fragmentation caused by roads
|fragmentation from development
|reduce fragmentation
|fragmentation effects
|fragmentation of ecosystems
|wildlife fragmentation
|river fragmentation
Thèmes
environment
|science
Exemples
- New highways increased fragmentation of the forest and isolated wildlife populations.
- Conservation plans aim to limit fragmentation by creating wildlife corridors.
- Researchers tracked how fragmentation changed the birds’ nesting success.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Roads can cause fragmentation of forests.
- Fragmentation can harm animals.
Nom
business
C1
process
6
splitting audiences or markets
when customers or viewers spread across many options
Schéma d’usage :
fragmentation of [market/audience/media landscape]
Erreur fréquente :
Not the same as 'diversification' (a strategy); fragmentation describes how the market/audience is split.
Synonymes
splintering (suggests breaking into many small segments)
|
dispersion (focuses on spreading out rather than breaking apart)
Antonymes
concentration (customers or viewers gathered around a few players)
|
dominance (one or a few major options control most attention)
Collocations
market fragmentation
|audience fragmentation
|media fragmentation
|platform fragmentation
|fragmentation of demand
|increasing fragmentation
|highly fragmented market
|fragmentation trends
|fragmentation across platforms
|cope with fragmentation
Thèmes
business
|media
|technology
Exemples
- Streaming has accelerated fragmentation of the TV audience.
- Advertisers struggle with fragmentation because they must buy space across many platforms.
- The industry shifted from a few big products to deep fragmentation into niche brands.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Fragmentation makes it hard to reach all customers.
- Audience fragmentation grew after new apps appeared.
Nom
C1
process
7
breaking a continuous activity into parts
when something continuous is often interrupted
Schéma d’usage :
fragmentation of [sleep/time/attention/work]
Erreur fréquente :
Often used with abstract nouns (sleep/time/attention), not usually with a person as the direct object.
Synonymes
interruption (focuses on the breaks rather than the resulting pattern)
|
disruption (often implies a negative effect)
Antonymes
continuity (unbroken flow over time)
|
uninterruptedness (no breaks or disturbances)
Collocations
sleep fragmentation
|attention fragmentation
|time fragmentation
|fragmentation of work
|fragmentation of tasks
|fragmentation of care
|increasing fragmentation
|reduce fragmentation
|fragmentation due to notifications
|fragmentation throughout the day
Thèmes
health
|daily_life
|work
Exemples
- Night-time noise led to fragmentation of his sleep.
- Constant messages can cause fragmentation of attention during focused work.
- The fragmentation of her schedule left little time for deep thinking.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Noise caused fragmentation of my sleep.
- Notifications create fragmentation of attention.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
fragmentation
API
GB/fɹˌæɡmɛntˈeɪʃən/
US/fɹˌæɡmɛntˈeɪʃən/
Syllabes et accentuation
frag - ment - a - tion (4 syllabes)
Stress on 3rd syllable (a)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: fragmentation
- Plural: fragmentation, fragmentations
Famille de mots
Forms
fragmentations
noun
Core family
fragment
noun B2
fragmented
adjective
Related words
fragmentary
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
unfragmented
adjective
Advanced or less common
defragment
verb
defragmentation
noun
Expressions
audience fragmentation
1/ˈɔdiəns fɹˌæɡmɛntˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
business
viewers spread across many choices
when viewers are spread across many different media
Exemples
- Audience fragmentation has changed how advertisers plan campaigns.
- Podcasts contribute to audience fragmentation by pulling listeners into smaller niches.
- The channel responded to audience fragmentation by launching several themed streams.
disk fragmentation
1/dˈɪsk fɹˌæɡmɛntˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
files split across a disk
when parts of a file are stored in different places on a disk
Exemples
- The technician checked the PC for disk fragmentation.
- Disk fragmentation was severe after years of installing and deleting software.
- Modern systems may hide disk fragmentation, but it can still matter in some cases.
fragmentation bomb
1/fɹˌæɡmɛntˈeɪʃən bˈɑm/
fixed phrase
technical
bomb that scatters fragments
a bomb that explodes and sends out many small pieces
Exemples
- The report described damage consistent with a fragmentation bomb.
- A fragmentation bomb is intended to hit targets over a broad area.
fragmentation grenade
1/fɹˌæɡmɛntˈeɪʃən ɡɹənˈeɪd/
fixed phrase
technical
grenade that scatters metal fragments
a grenade that explodes and throws out small pieces of metal
Exemples
- Soldiers were trained to take cover after throwing a fragmentation grenade.
- A fragmentation grenade produces lethal fragments in a wide radius.
habitat fragmentation
1/hˈæbətˌæt fɹˌæɡmɛntˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
habitat split into isolated patches
when a large habitat becomes many smaller habitats
Exemples
- Habitat fragmentation is a major threat to wide-ranging species.
- The study measured habitat fragmentation before and after the new road was built.
- Wildlife corridors can reduce the impact of habitat fragmentation.
market fragmentation
1/mˈɑɹkɪt fɹˌæɡmɛntˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
business
market split into many niches
when many companies share the same market
Exemples
- Market fragmentation keeps prices competitive but makes scaling harder.
- The report shows strong market fragmentation in the local delivery sector.
- Consolidation reduced market fragmentation over the last decade.
memory fragmentation
1/mˈɛmɚi fɹˌæɡmɛntˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
free memory split into gaps
when free memory is split into many small pieces
Exemples
- The game stuttered due to memory fragmentation over long play sessions.
- Developers rewrote the allocator to reduce memory fragmentation.
- Memory fragmentation can prevent a large buffer from being allocated.
political fragmentation
1/pəlˈɪtɪkəl fɹˌæɡmɛntˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
politics split into many factions
when politics is divided among many small groups
Exemples
- Political fragmentation made it difficult to form a stable coalition.
- Analysts linked political fragmentation to repeated elections.
- The reform aimed to reduce political fragmentation by changing the voting rules.