fragmentation
breaking into many small pieces
when something breaks into many small pieces
fragmentation of [material/object]
- 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.
- The glass broke, and fragmentation scattered pieces everywhere.
- Scientists measured the fragmentation of the sample.
splitting into smaller groups
when one big group becomes many smaller groups
fragmentation of [group/system/field]
- 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.
- Fragmentation can make a group weaker.
- The team suffered from fragmentation after the argument.
condition of being broken up
a situation where parts are separated and not together
[the] fragmentation of [information/effort/resources]
- 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.
- There is too much fragmentation in our notes.
- Fragmentation makes work harder.
scattered storage in computing
when computer files are stored in many separate parts
fragmentation on/in [disk/memory/system]
- 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.
- Fragmentation can slow down an old computer.
- The tool checks the disk for fragmentation.
splitting natural areas into parts
when one big natural area becomes many smaller ones
fragmentation of [habitat/forest/landscape]
- 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.
- Roads can cause fragmentation of forests.
- Fragmentation can harm animals.
splitting audiences or markets
when customers or viewers spread across many options
fragmentation of [market/audience/media landscape]
- 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.
- Fragmentation makes it hard to reach all customers.
- Audience fragmentation grew after new apps appeared.
breaking a continuous activity into parts
when something continuous is often interrupted
fragmentation of [sleep/time/attention/work]
- 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.
- Noise caused fragmentation of my sleep.
- Notifications create fragmentation of attention.
- Base: fragmentation
- Plural: fragmentation, fragmentations
audience fragmentation
1viewers spread across many choices
when viewers are spread across many different media
- 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
1files split across a disk
when parts of a file are stored in different places on a disk
- 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
1bomb that scatters fragments
a bomb that explodes and sends out many small pieces
- The report described damage consistent with a fragmentation bomb.
- A fragmentation bomb is intended to hit targets over a broad area.
fragmentation grenade
1grenade that scatters metal fragments
a grenade that explodes and throws out small pieces of metal
- Soldiers were trained to take cover after throwing a fragmentation grenade.
- A fragmentation grenade produces lethal fragments in a wide radius.
habitat fragmentation
1habitat split into isolated patches
when a large habitat becomes many smaller habitats
- 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
1market split into many niches
when many companies share the same market
- 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
1free memory split into gaps
when free memory is split into many small pieces
- 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
1politics split into many factions
when politics is divided among many small groups
- 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.