divide

1 of 2

verb

di·​vide də-ˈvīd How to pronounce divide (audio)
divided; dividing

transitive verb

1
a
: to separate into two or more parts, areas, or groups
divide the city into wards
b
: to separate into classes, categories, or divisions
divide history into epochs
c
: cleave, part
a ship dividing the waves
2
a
: to separate into portions and give out in shares : distribute
divide profits
b
: to possess, enjoy, or make use of in common
divide the blame
c
: apportion
divides her time between the office and home
3
a
: to cause to be separate, distinct, or apart from one another
fields divided by stone walls
b
: to separate into opposing sides or parties
the issues that divide us
c
: to cause (a parliamentary body) to vote by division
4
a
: to subject (a number or quantity) to the operation of finding how many times it contains another number or quantity
divide 42 by 14
b
: to be used as a divisor with respect to (a dividend)
4 divides 16 evenly
c
: to use as a divisor
used with into
divide 14 into 42

intransitive verb

1
: to perform mathematical division
2
a(1)
: to undergo replication, multiplication, fission, or separation into parts
(2)
: to branch out
b
: to become separated or disunited especially in opinion or interest
dividable adjective

divide

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act of dividing
2
a
: a dividing ridge between drainage areas
b
: a point or line of division or disagreement
Choose the Right Synonym for divide

separate, part, divide, sever, sunder, divorce mean to become or cause to become disunited or disjointed.

separate may imply any of several causes such as dispersion, removal of one from others, or presence of an intervening thing.

separated her personal life from her career

part implies the separating of things or persons in close union or association.

vowed never to part

divide implies separating into pieces or sections by cutting or breaking.

civil war divided the nation

sever implies violence especially in the removal of a part or member.

a severed limb

sunder suggests violent rending or wrenching apart.

a city sundered by racial conflict

divorce implies separating two things that commonly interact and belong together.

cannot divorce scientific research from moral responsibility

distribute, dispense, divide, deal, dole out mean to give out, usually in shares, to each member of a group.

distribute implies an apportioning by separation of something into parts, units, or amounts.

distributed food to the needy

dispense suggests the giving of a carefully weighed or measured portion to each of a group according to due or need.

dispensed wisdom to the students

divide stresses the separation of a whole into parts and implies that the parts are equal.

three charitable groups divided the proceeds

deal emphasizes the allotment of something piece by piece.

deal out equipment and supplies

dole out implies a carefully measured portion of something that is often in short supply.

doled out what little food there was

Examples of divide in a Sentence

Verb She divided the pie into eight pieces. The equator divides the Earth into two hemispheres. The river divides after the bridge. A tall fence divides the two yards.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Toshiko Mori, the architect and principal at Toshiko Mori Architect, divides her time between New York City and a home on an island in Maine’s Penobscot Bay. Jessica Battilana Richard Pedaline, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023 The judicial overhaul has triggered the longest and largest protest movement in Israeli history, dividing the Knesset over a crucial proposal that critics say would threaten the country’s democracy. Sana Noor Haq, CNN, 22 Sep. 2023 The western parts were divided among France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Samuel Clowes Huneke, The New Republic, 22 Sep. 2023 In 1981, when her father’s health declined, the family divided the property and Shetterly bought 37 acres. Madison Rudolf, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2023 To serve, divide the spinach mixture among six bowls, then ladle with the broth and quadrucci. Leah Koenig, Saveur, 20 Sep. 2023 The incident has divided those who say police should have handled the situation in a different manner and those who say Mims should have complied with officers’ request to leave. Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 19 Sep. 2023 The dams, Abu Mansour and Derna, were built by a Yugoslav construction company in the 1970s above Wadi Derna, which divides the city. Samy Magdy, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Sep. 2023 For context, Disney defines a view as total stream time divided by runtime, just like Netflix recently started doing. Joe Otterson, Variety, 18 Sep. 2023
Noun
Biden says this is part of the plan During the pandemic, rising inequality was put in the spotlight as the ever present economic divide became more stark. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2023 Many Israelis, both those for and against the judicial changes, say Israel is risking tearing itself apart, and that the judicial overhaul is just one aspect of what’s really fueling the divide – the battle between secular and religious, settler and not. Hadas Gold, CNN, 12 Sep. 2023 Part of the hesitation to go electric is driven by a partisan divide. Shannon Osaka, Emily Guskin, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Sep. 2023 The doom and gloom that too many Americans screech about on social media and in their personal lives — on both sides of the red-blue divide — is a betrayal of what brought their ancestors here, and what continues to attract people from across the world. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023 Such an inquiry would face major obstacles given Libya's lingering political divide, even as the devastation brought a rare moment of unity, with Libyans on both sides rushing aid to Derna. Samy Magdy and Yousef Mourad The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2023 This isn’t the only generational divide in the workplace. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 12 Sep. 2023 The stories never connect, reflecting the divide between the liberal, literary son, who immigrated to Seattle in 1990, and the conservative father, who became a vicar in the Church of England. By Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023 This divide between populism and traditional conservatism embraced by candidates like Pence will likely emerge as a theme in the second debate, said Michael Traugott, a political scientist at the University of Michigan. Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'divide.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Latin dividere, from dis- + -videre to separate — more at widow

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1642, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of divide was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near divide

Cite this Entry

“Divide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divide. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

divide

1 of 2 verb
di·​vide də-ˈvīd How to pronounce divide (audio)
divided; dividing
1
a
: to separate into two or more parts or pieces
b
: to separate into classes or categories
2
a
: to give out in shares
b
: to own or use in common : share
3
: to cause to be separate, different, or apart from one another
4
a
: to perform or use in mathematical division
b
: to subject (a number) to the operation of finding how many times it contains another number
divide 42 by 14
c
: to use as a divisor
divide 14 into 42
5
a
: to undergo cell division
the cell divides

divide

2 of 2 noun
: a dividing ridge between drainage areas : watershed

Medical Definition

divide

verb
di·​vide də-ˈvīd How to pronounce divide (audio)
divided; dividing

transitive verb

: to separate into two or more parts
divide a nerve surgically

intransitive verb

: to undergo replication, multiplication, fission, or separation into parts
actively dividing cells

More from Merriam-Webster on divide

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