1. Characterized by the separation of whole segments of the personality (as in multiple personality disorder) or of discrete mental processes (as in schizophrenias) from the mainstream of consciousness or of behavior.
2. The property inherent in some biological stocks (as of certain bacteria) of differentiating into two or more distinct and relatively permanent strains.
3. The process by which a chemical combination breaks up into simpler constituents; especially : one that results from the action of energy (as heat) on a gas or of a solvent on a dissolved substance.