divisive

adjective

di·​vi·​sive də-ˈvī-siv How to pronounce divisive (audio)
also
-ˈvi- How to pronounce divisive (audio)
 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The rhetoric of 2025 is confrontational, transactional, divisive and grim. Leah M. Wright, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2025 Over the years, logo changes have become a divisive choice for brands and are often the target of criticism. Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025 The discourse, though, has largely centered around Sweeney's recent controversies, galvanized by her family's politics and a divisive American Eagle jeans ad. EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025 Faculty fought legislature's passage of 202 When the bill was passed in 2024, faculty across the state rebuked it as an infringement on academic freedom and warned of a mass chilling effect on free speech and lecturing on divisive topics. Cate Charron, IndyStar, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for divisive

Word History

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of divisive was in 1642

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Cite this Entry

“Divisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divisive. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.

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