Fragmentation

noun

/ˌfræɡmənˈteɪʃən/

The process by which a unified political entity breaks apart into smaller, often competing, independent units or regions.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

The fragmentation of forest cover by linear infrastructure projects severs wildlife corridors and erodes ecological resilience, underscoring why environmental clearances must weigh cumulative landscape-level impacts rather than appraising each project in isolation.

Synonyms

disintegrationfracturingsplinteringbreakupdissolutionbalkanisation

Antonyms

integrationunificationconsolidationcohesion

🌱 Word Family

fragment (n/v), fragmentary (adj), fragmented (adj), fragmentise (v), fragmentary (adj)

🔡 Root

Latin fragmentum = a piece broken off; frangere = to break + -ation = process

📜 Etymology

From fragment (from Latin fragmentum, from frangere, "to break") plus the suffix -ation (indicating a process); the noun form entered English in 1842.

🧠 Memory Hook

Think of a "fragment" of a shattered plate: FRAG- shares its root with frangere, "to break" (as in a "fragile" object or a "frangible" shell) — fragmentation is the breaking of a whole into many small fragments.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Prelims 2012 — Biodiversity

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Fragmentation” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

🏛️ History & Culture 📖 Seen in: Later Mughals & Decline (1605–1857)

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