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Definition of breakdown noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

breakdown

noun
 
 
/ˈbreɪkdaʊn/
 
/ˈbreɪkdaʊn/
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  1.  
    [countable] an occasion when a vehicle or machine stops working
    • a breakdown on the motorway
    • a breakdown recovery service
    • Most breakdown services give priority to women travelling alone.
    • The national breakdown organizations are on hand to help motorists 24 hours a day.
    Topics Transport by car or lorryc1, Engineeringc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • mechanical
    breakdown + verb
    • occur
    breakdown + noun
    • service
    • truck
    • vehicle
    • …
    See full entry
  2.  
    [countable, uncountable] a failure of a relationship, discussion or system
    • The only ground for divorce is the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.
    • marriage breakdown
    • There has obviously been a breakdown in communications between the two sides.
    • The breakdown of the negotiations was not unexpected.
    • the complete breakdown of law and order
    Extra Examples
    • A growing proportion of children are affected by family breakdown.
    • Marital breakdown can be followed by debt problems.
    • Both sides blame each other for the breakdown in negotiations.
    Topics Difficulty and failurec1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • serious
    • complete
    • irretrievable
    • …
    verb + breakdown
    • cause
    • lead to
    • prevent
    • …
    preposition
    • breakdown in
    • breakdown of
    See full entry
  3.  
    [countable, usually singular] detailed information that you get by studying a set of figures
    • First, let's look at a breakdown of the costs.
    • Please provide us with a breakdown of expenditure by department.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • detailed
    • full
    • cost
    • …
    verb + breakdown
    • prepare
    • give somebody
    • provide (somebody with)
    • …
    preposition
    • breakdown by
    • breakdown of
    See full entry
  4. [uncountable] (specialist) the process of a substance breaking into the parts of which it is made
    • the breakdown of proteins in the digestive system
  5. [countable]
    (also nervous breakdown (old-fashioned))
    a period of serious mental illness in which somebody is unable to deal with normal life
    • It all became too much and he had some sort of breakdown.
    Topics Mental healthc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • emotional
    • mental
    • nervous
    • …
    verb + breakdown
    • have
    • suffer
    phrases
    • the brink of a nervous breakdown
    • the edge of a nervous breakdown
    • the verge of a nervous breakdown
    • …
    See full entry
See breakdown in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee breakdown in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: breakdown

Nearby words

dizzy
adjective
 
 
From the Topic
Health problems
C1
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