divisive
adjective
di·vi·sive
də-ˈvī-siv 
also
-ˈvi-
or -ziv
: creating disunity or dissension
a divisive issue
divisive rhetoric
divisively
adverb
divisiveness
noun
Examples of divisive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Former Charlottesville city council member Dr. Wes Bellamy’s impassioned activism reveals the tumultuous journey for racial justice sparked by the controversial removal of Confederate statues and leading to one of modern America’s most divisive conflicts.
—
Angelique Jackson, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
The current buffer is half a mile, giving surrounding communities little input over the divisive landfill.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2024
However, the pandemic intervened and church officials felt a virtual meeting to discuss such deeply divisive issues was ill-advised.
—Jason Derose, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024
Critics say Modi’s comments build on a divisive campaign of Hindu nationalism has been associated with the ruling BJP, which is expected to claim a third consecutive term.
—Armani Syed, TIME, 22 Apr. 2024
The bill that could ban TikTok may become a divisive issue in the 2024 election.
—Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 22 Apr. 2024
Perlmutter, who’s been a Marvel executive since 1993 and joined Disney when Marvel was acquired in 2009, is a divisive figure.
—The Verge, 18 Apr. 2024
For every loud, hateful, and violent voice in this toxic and divisive discourse, a dozen unheard ones are calling to stop the bloodshed and dehumanization.
—Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
In the nation’s capital (87%), lawmakers wrestled with the patchwork of rules for social media, struggling with the privacy rights of Americans in an online world where their eclipse photos and divisive disinformation live side-by-side.
—USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Angelique Jackson, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
The current buffer is half a mile, giving surrounding communities little input over the divisive landfill.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2024
However, the pandemic intervened and church officials felt a virtual meeting to discuss such deeply divisive issues was ill-advised.
—Jason Derose, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024
Critics say Modi’s comments build on a divisive campaign of Hindu nationalism has been associated with the ruling BJP, which is expected to claim a third consecutive term.
—Armani Syed, TIME, 22 Apr. 2024
The bill that could ban TikTok may become a divisive issue in the 2024 election.
—Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 22 Apr. 2024
Perlmutter, who’s been a Marvel executive since 1993 and joined Disney when Marvel was acquired in 2009, is a divisive figure.
—The Verge, 18 Apr. 2024
For every loud, hateful, and violent voice in this toxic and divisive discourse, a dozen unheard ones are calling to stop the bloodshed and dehumanization.
—Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
In the nation’s capital (87%), lawmakers wrestled with the patchwork of rules for social media, struggling with the privacy rights of Americans in an online world where their eclipse photos and divisive disinformation live side-by-side.
—USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'divisive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Divisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divisive. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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