1. (n.) The act of dissociating or disuniting; a state of separation; disunion.

2. (n.) The process by which a compound body breaks up into simpler constituents; -- said particularly of the action of heat on gaseous or volatile substances; as, the dissociation of the sulphur molecules; the dissociation of ammonium chloride into hydrochloric acid and ammonia.

alienation alpha decay alternating personality atom-chipping atom-smashing atomic disintegration atomic reaction atomization autism autistic thinking avoidance mechanism beta decay blame-shifting bombardment breeding bullet catalysis catalyst chain reaction cleavage compensation decay decompensation defense mechanism depersonalization dereism dereistic thinking dialysis disassociation disconnection discreteness disintegration series disjunction disjuncture displacement dissociation of personality double personality dual personality emotional dissociation emotional insulation escape escape into fantasy escape mechanism escapism exchange reaction fantasizing fantasy fission fission reaction flight gamma decay hydrolysis hydrolyst immateriality impertinence inapplicability inappositeness inconnection inconsequence independence ionization irrelation irrelevance isolation mental dissociation multiple personality negativism neutron reaction nonreversible reaction nuclear fission nucleization overcompensation paranoia paranoid personality personality disorganization photodisintegration photolysis projection proton gun proton reaction psychotaxis rationalization resistance reversible reaction schizoid personality schizoidism schizophrenia schizothymia separateness sociological adjustive reactions split personality splitting splitting the atom stimulation sublimation substitution target thermolysis thermonuclear reaction unconnectedness unrelatedness wish-fulfillment fantasy wishful thinking withdrawal