Dissociation

The act of dissociating or disuniting; a state of separation; disunion.

The process by which a compound body breaks up into simpler constituents; -- said particularly of the action of heat on gaseous or volatile substances; as, the dissociation of the sulphur molecules; the dissociation of ammonium chloride into hydrochloric acid and ammonia.

(chemistry) the temporary or reversible process in which a molecule or ion is broken down into smaller molecules or ions

a state in which some integrated part of a person's life becomes separated from the rest of the personality and functions independently