Definition of Breakdown

Noun: breakdown 'breyk,dawn

The act of disrupting an established order so it fails to continue
"his warning came after the breakdown of talks in London";
- dislocation
A mental or physical breakdown
- crack-up
A cessation of normal operation
"there was a power breakdown";
- equipment failure
An analysis into mutually exclusive categories
- partitioning

Verb: break down breyk dawn

Make ineffective
"Martin Luther King tried to break down racial discrimination";
- crush
Make a mathematical, chemical, or grammatical analysis of; break down into components or essential features
"break down today's financial market";
- analyze [N. Amer], analyse [Brit, Cdn], dissect, take apart
Lose control of one's emotions
"When she heard that she had not passed the exam, she broke down completely";
- lose it, snap
Stop operating or functioning
"The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town";
- fail, go bad, give way, die, give out, conk out, go, break
Fall apart
"Negotiations broke down";
- crumble, crumple, tumble, collapse
Cause to fall or collapse
(chemistry) separate (substances) into constituent elements or parts
- decompose, break up
Fall or become unconscious due to fatigue, illness, or a sudden attack
- collapse