Decompositional

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Pertaining to the process where something is broken down into simpler parts or elements
2. Connected with the breakdown of complex substances into more basic components
3. Describing aspects related to the disintegration or decay process of materials or organic matter

Etymology: "Decompositional" is a plain, technical formation: it takes "decomposition", the noun for the breaking down of something into its component parts, and adds the adjective-forming suffix "-al", giving the sense "of or relating to decomposition." The noun itself comes from the Latin "decompositio", built from "de-" (apart, down) and "compositio" (a putting together), so the underlying idea is an undoing of composition. The suffix does most of the work here. "-al" attaches readily to nouns of this kind, producing forms such as "structural" or "chemical" that describe something in relation to the noun. "Decompositional" therefore names processes and features linked to decay in materials and organic matter, such as decompositional stages in a corpse or decompositional chemistry in soil. Its meaning is transparent, so the word needs little more than its parts to be understood.

Synonyms: decomposing, analyzing, breaking down, divisive, segregative

Antonyms: compositional, synthetic, constructive, integrative, assembling