division

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noun di·vi·sion \də-ˈvi-zhən\

Definition of division

1a : the act or process of dividing : the state of being dividedb : the act, process, or an instance of distributing among a number : distribution
2 : one of the parts or groupings into which a whole is divided or is divisible
3 : the condition or an instance of being divided in opinion or interest : disagreement, disunity exploited the divisions between the two countries
4a : something that divides, separates, or marks offb : the act, process, or an instance of separating or keeping apart : separation
5 : the mathematical operation of dividing something
6a : a self-contained major military unit capable of independent actionb : a tactical military unit composed of headquarters and usually three to five brigadesc (1) : the basic naval administrative unit (2) : a tactical subdivision of a squadron of shipsd : a unit of the U.S. Air Force higher than a wing and lower than an air force
7a : a portion of a territorial unit marked off for a particular purpose (such as administrative or judicial functions)b : an administrative or operating unit of a governmental, business, or educational organization
8 : the physical separation into different lobbies of the members of a parliamentary body voting for and against a question
9 : plant propagation by dividing parts and planting segments capable of producing roots and shoots
10 : a group of organisms forming part of a larger group; specifically : a primary category of the plant kingdom in biological taxonomy that is typically equivalent to a phylum
11 : a competitive class or category (as in boxing or wrestling)

divisional

play \-ˈvizh-nəl, -ˈvi-zhə-n^əl\ adjective

See division defined for English-language learners

See division defined for kids

Examples of division in a Sentence

the process of cell division
a division of profits into equal shares
After learning multiplication, the students were taught division.

Recent Examples of division from the Web

When immigration is seen as the source of disruption, right-wing populism, which exploits ethnic or religious divisions, is more common.

— The Economist, "The power of populists," 20 July 2017
The jobs include management, dispatching and clerical jobs, and the dispatchers will be the ones transferred to those three other divisions.

— kelly poe, AL.com, "Norfolk Southern could move some Knoxville employees to Birmingham," 19 July 2017
That has left President Trump without any major legislative achievements to capitalize on, and has created division within the ranks of congressional Republicans.

— clare foran, The Atlantic, "Mitch McConnell Calls for Obamacare Repeal Vote," 17 July 2017
Ab Fab Muscle Beach Contestants prepare for the bikini division at a Muscle Beach Venice Body-building Competition, held at the Venice Recreation Center.

— ann herold, Los Angeles Magazine, "These Photos Will Make You Fall in Love with LA’s Beaches All Over Again," 17 July 2017
According to The New York Times, the decision came about amid reports that prosecutors for the Civil Rights division of the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. disagreed with the findings of prosecutors and FBI investigators in NYC.

— paula rogo, Essence.com, "Eric Garner Three Years Later: A Life Remembered," 17 July 2017
McConnell has tried to overcome divisions within his caucus by selling his plan as different things to different people.

— jonathan chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Senators Figure Out McConnell Is Lying To Them About Trumpcare," 17 July 2017
The show features several divisions including miniature, dressage and saddle seat; also 4-H drill team competition.

— taylor m. riley, The Courier-Journal, "Lebowski Fest and everything else to do around Louisville this weekend," 5 July 2017
Qatar Petroleum, through its LNG-producing divisions Qatargas and RasGas and other investments in related businesses, holds stakes in companies that extract, process, ship and receive gas.

— mohammed sergie, Bloomberg.com, "Qatar Charts Second Gas Boom as Saudis Try to Tighten the Noose," 5 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of division

Middle English, from Anglo-French devision, from Latin division-, divisio, from dividere to divide

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of division

part, portion, piece, member, division, section, segment, fragment mean something less than the whole. part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required. they ran only part of the way portion implies an assigned or allotted part. cut the pie into six portions piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole. a puzzle with 500 pieces member suggests one of the functional units composing a body. a structural member division applies to a large or diversified part. the manufacturing division of the company section applies to a relatively small or uniform part. the entertainment section of the newspaper segment applies to a part separated or marked out by or as if by natural lines of cleavage. the retired segment of the population fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off. only a fragment of the play still exists

DIVISION Defined for English Language Learners

division

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noun

Definition of division for English Language Learners

: the act or process of dividing something into parts : the way that something is divided
: something that physically divides or separates something else
mathematics : the process of finding out how many times one number is contained in another

DIVISION Defined for Kids

division

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noun di·vi·sion \də-ˈvi-zhən\

Definition of division for Students

1 : the act or process of dividing or separating : the state of being divided or separated cell division
2 : the mathematical process of finding out how many times one number is contained in another
3 : something that divides, separates, or marks off The river is the division between the two towns.
4 : one of the parts or groups that make up a whole
5 : a large military unit
6 : a level of competitors He finished third in his weight division.
7 : a group of plants that ranks above the class and below the kingdom and in scientific classification is typically equal to a phylum

Medical Dictionary

division

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noun di·vi·sion \də-ˈvizh-ən\

Medical Definition of division

1: the act or process of dividing : the state of being divided—see cell division
2: a group of organisms forming part of a larger group; specifically : a primary category of the plant kingdom that is typically equivalent to a phylum