decomposition

/ˌdiːkɑːmpəˈzɪʃən/
noun
  1. The process by which dead plants and animals break down into simpler substances, usually with the help of bacteria and fungi.
    • Composting speeds up the natural decomposition of kitchen scraps.
    • Scientists study decomposition to understand how nutrients return to the soil.
    • The decomposition of a fallen log can take many years.
  2. The process of breaking something into smaller parts or simpler forms.
    • The decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen requires electricity.
    • The decomposition of the problem into smaller steps made it easier to solve.
    • In math class, we learned about the decomposition of numbers into prime factors.
Antonyms
What does "decomposition" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean