subdivision

noun

sub·​di·​vi·​sion ˈsəb-də-ˌvi-zhən 

1

: an act or instance of subdividing

2

: something produced by subdividing: such as

a

: a subordinate part of a larger whole

political subdivisions

b

: a tract of land surveyed and divided into lots for purposes of sale

especially : one with houses built on it

3

: a category in botanical classification ranking below a division and above a class

Examples of subdivision in a Sentence

a political subdivision of the state

Recent Examples on the Web

That includes a subdivision map dividing the property into six lots and a request to replace the current zoning with a custom zoning plan tailored to The Village. —Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025

The site is the last piece of the Fairbourne subdivision. —Rose Evans september 12, Idaho Statesman, 12 Sep. 2025

Other anti-housing development actions include disallowing duplexes and lot subdivisions after wildfires and fighting a new state law to increase housing density around mass transit hubs, saying the state shouldn’t override local control. —Richard McGahey, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

The subdivision for the neighborhood was approved by the county in the late 1940s/early 1950s without road improvements or a road maintenance agreement (RMA) for road paving, according to Dant. —Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for subdivision

• cablevision
• circumcision
• imprecision
• indecision
• supervision
• television
• abscission
• collision
• decision
• derision
• division
• elision

Kids Definition

subdivision

noun

sub·​di·​vi·​sion ˌsəb-də-ˈvizh-ən 

1

: the act or process of subdividing

2

: one of the parts into which something is subdivided

Medical Definition

subdivision

noun

sub·​di·​vi·​sion ˈsəb-də-ˌvi-zhən 

: a category in botanical classification ranking below a division and above a class

Legal Definition

subdivision

noun

sub·​di·​vi·​sion ˈsəb-də-ˌvi-zhən 

1

: an act or instance of subdividing

obtain approval of his subdivision of the land

2

: a tract of land subdivided into lots

to provide streets and sewers for the subdivision

3

: a part made by subdividing

as prescribed in subdivision one of this section