1. tending to disperse or scatter; causing things to spread out or separate
Usage: common in physics and optics
2. relating to or characterized by the separation of light into its component colors or wavelengths
Usage: technical; physics and optics

Examples

• The dispersive effect of the prism separated white light into a rainbow spectrum.
• Wind patterns had a dispersive influence on the smoke, spreading it across the valley.
• Dispersive forces in the atmosphere help distribute pollutants over wide areas.
• The lens's dispersive properties made it useful for spectroscopy experiments.
• Dispersive media cause different wavelengths of light to travel at different speeds.