disaggregation
dis-ag-rih-GAY-shun
/ˌdɪsˌæɡrɪˈɡeɪʃən/
The act or process of breaking down aggregated totals into smaller component parts or subcategories.
Essential in statistical analysis to reveal hidden disparities within broad summary figures.
The story behind the word. Built by placing the reversal prefix 'dis-' onto 'aggregation'. Literally translates to taking apart a herd that was previously brought together.
Word relationships
- breakdown: 'Breakdown' is conversational; 'disaggregation' is the precise academic and statistical term.
- decomposition: 'Decomposition' often implies decay or chemical separation, whereas 'disaggregation' refers to structured data separation.
- aggregation: Combining smaller data points into a summary total.
Commonly confused with
- disintegration: Disaggregation is breaking data into smaller structural components; disintegration means falling apart into ruin.
Word family
- disaggregate (verb): To separate aggregate data into constituent parts.
Collocations
- data disaggregation
- disaggregation by gender
- disaggregation by region
- require disaggregation
Example sentences
- "Disaggregation of national poverty figures revealed stark regional disparities." Policy evaluation
- "Without proper data disaggregation, unique trends in minority birth rates remain invisible." Demographic methodology
Memory hook
DIS (apart) + AGGREGATE (gather) = taking gathered totals apart. Separate totals into parts.
When not to use
Do not use to describe physical destruction or random fragmentation of non-data objects.
Fun facts
- The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals mandate data disaggregation by income, sex, age, and ethnicity.
Related words
Explore more words
Analysis, Fragmentation, break down, analytical, analyze, dismantle
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