divide

verb

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di·vide | \ də-ˈvīd

divided; dividing

Definition of divide

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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

2a : 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

3a : 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

4a : 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

2a(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

divide

noun

Definition of divide (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an act of dividing

2a : a dividing ridge between drainage areas

b : a point or line of division or disagreement

Other Words from divide Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about divide

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Choose the Right Synonym for divide

Verb

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 Those who see Trump as key to Republicans' chances of taking back the House and Senate are especially reticent about combing back through key moments that could divide the party once again. — Lauren Fox, Jeremy Herb And Manu Raju, CNN, 18 May 2021 Other social media platforms have multiple features – lots of text or static photos – that can divide a user’s attention. — al, 15 May 2021 For the bonds among us must be stronger than the differences and disagreements that divide us. — BostonGlobe.com, 7 May 2021 This week, Newsom and the legislature announced a compromise detailed in a state bill that would divide $2 billion in funding to schools that reopened before April. — Tori Richards, Washington Examiner, 4 Mar. 2021 Deep learning algorithms typically run on specialized computer chips that divide the parallel computations needed to train and run the network more effectively. — Will Knight, Wired, 13 Dec. 2020 The likelihood is that between them, these three big players, along with some smaller ones, will divide up the vast majority of the audiovisual content market. — Enrique Dans, Forbes, 19 May 2021 Teams of volunteers divide the Moderna vaccine on Thursday, March 18, 2021, as the Utah Film Studios loans its space to the Summit County Health Department as a drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination station. — Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 May 2021 The sauce’s tangy qualities could divide Denverites who were not raised on a tradition of vinegary barbecue. — Washington Post, 17 May 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The massive wealth divide between Black and White families is currently in the spotlight because of the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the worst acts of racial violence in US cities. — Tami Luhby And Katie Lobosco, CNN, 1 June 2021 Their concern centers not just on reckless pricing or advertising but also on the widening divide between the haves and have-nots—those who can afford to load up on extra lessons. — Fortune, 31 May 2021 But the divide between rival Israeli and Palestinian narratives runs deeper. — Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 May 2021 Symbolically, Lake Avenue, in my mind, kind of represented this divide between the mostly white side and the mostly like, Black and brown side. — Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2021 If these conversations yield a clearer understanding of each side’s red lines, even the deep divide between today’s parties may prove surmountable. — William A. Galston, WSJ, 25 May 2021 The administration's handling opened a divide between Biden and some Democratic lawmakers, dozens of whom have called for a cease-fire. — Aamer Madhani And Ellen Knickmeyer, Star Tribune, 20 May 2021 The policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have done little to lessen the divide between Arab citizens of Israel who often identify as Palestinians, and the Jewish majority in recent years. — Julia Macfarlane, ABC News, 21 May 2021 The coronavirus pandemic has made the divide between employee and employer far more apparent. — Christine Romans, CNN, 21 May 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'divide.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.