disband Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb cause to break up or cease to function
    • the principal disbanded the political student organization
  2. verb stop functioning or cohering as a unit
    dissolve.
    • The political wing of the party dissolved after much internal fighting

WordNet

Dis*band" transitive verb
Etymology
Pref. dis- + band: cf. OF. desbander, F. débander, to unbind, unbend. See Band, and cf. Disbend, Disbind.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Disbanded; present participle & verbal noun Disbanding
Definitions
  1. To loose the bands of; to set free; to disunite; to scatter; to disperse; to break up the organization of; especially, to dismiss from military service; as, to disband an army.
    They disbanded themselves and returned, every man to his own dwelling. Knolles.
  2. To divorce. Obs.
    And therefore . . . she ought to be disbanded. Milton.
Dis*band" intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To become separated, broken up, dissolved, or scattered; especially, to quit military service by breaking up organization.
    When both rocks and all things shall disband. Herbert.
    Human society would in a short space disband. Tillotson.

Webster 1913