dissimilation

noun

breakdown in living organisms of more complex substances into simpler ones together with release of energy

a linguistic process by which one of two similar sounds in a word becomes less like the other

Roots

disdis- · Latin · apart, not similissimil- · Latin · like, similar atio-ation · Latin · act, process

Synonyms & related words for dissimilation

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of dissimilation. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to dissimilation

Explore words related to dissimilation — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include catabolism, katabolism, dissimilatory, hypercatabolism, epenthesis, intervocalically, intervocalic, lenite. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does dissimilation come from?

The word dissimilation breaks down into 3 roots of Latin origin: dis-, from Latin dis (“apart, not”); simil, from Latin similis (“like, similar”); and -ation, from Latin atio (“act, process”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.