disrupter
UK[dɪsˈrʌptə]US[dɪsˈrʌptər]
n
a person or thing that interrupts an event, activity, or process by causing a disturbance or problem.
n
a company or form of technology that causes significant change in an industry or market by introducing innovation.
Morpheme Breakdown
dis
rupt
er
dis
apart
rupt
break
er
agent suffix
Etymology
the word disrupter is built upon the verb disrupt, which entered english in the 17th century from latin 'disruptus', the past participle of 'disrumpere', meaning "to break apart". the latin components are 'dis-' (apart) and 'rumpere' (to break), a verb from the proto-indo-european root reup- "to snatch". the english agent suffix '-er' was later appended, following a common pattern for forming nouns from verbs. thus, the literal sense of "one who breaks apart" evolved into the modern meaning of an agent that causes a radical interruption or disturbance in a settled system or process.
Analysis
Structure: dis (apart) + rupt (break) + er (agent suffix)
dis- is a Latin prefix meaning "apart" or "away". rupt- is from the Latin root 'rumpere', meaning "to break". -er is an English agent suffix from Old English '-ere', denoting a person or thing that performs an action.
Examples
the startup was hailed as a major disrupter in the transportation industry.
he was seen as a disrupter at the formal meeting, constantly challenging the traditional agenda.
this new technology acts as a disrupter, forcing established companies to adapt or fail.