division

noun

di·​vi·​sion də-ˈvi-zhən How to pronounce division (audio)
1
a
: the act or process of dividing : the state of being divided
b
: 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
4
a
: something that divides, separates, or marks off
b
: the act, process, or an instance of separating or keeping apart : separation
5
: the mathematical operation of dividing something
6
a
: a self-contained major military unit capable of independent action
b
: a tactical military unit composed of headquarters and usually three to five brigades
c(1)
: the basic naval administrative unit
(2)
: a tactical subdivision of a squadron of ships
d
: a unit of the U.S. Air Force higher than a wing and lower than an air force
7
a
: 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
də-ˈvizh-nəl How to pronounce division (audio)
-ˈvi-zhə-nᵊl
adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web Unveiling the new division, Curtis Brown Group also announced a host of new clients. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Managers of the Filipino divisions distributed weekly quizzes and offered coaching to ensure that workers understood AllDone’s rules and procedures. IEEE Spectrum, 13 Mar. 2024 The hope: Bailey’s deep experience, including steering the department through the covid-19 pandemic and running the large operations division, would lead to confirmation by the 11-member county council. Dan Morse, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 Kimmel then asked what group Trump would be in since there are racial divisions in prison. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 The tension has been exacerbated by divisions in the Democratic Party over Israel against the backdrop of a rising civilian death toll in Gaza and the barriers placed on humanitarian aid by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Kenneth P. Vogel, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 The notices went out Monday to dozens of staffers who worked in the communications, political, data and election integrity divisions of the RNC. Olivia Rinaldi, Caitlin Huey-Burns, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024 While many Hindus celebrated the opening of the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya, the inauguration was a painful reminder to the country’s minority Muslim population of the religious divisions that have grown more pronounced under Modi’s rule. Vedika Sud, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 The 1988 and 1984 divisions among Democrats were, however, minor matters compared to the schism of 1980. Ron Elving, NPR, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'division.' 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

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

First Known Use

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

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

Dictionary Entries Near division

Cite this Entry

“Division.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/division. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

division

noun
di·​vi·​sion də-ˈvizh-ən How to pronounce division (audio)
1
a
: the act or process of dividing : the state of being divided
2
: a part or portion of a whole
3
: something that divides, separates, or marks off
4
: a large military unit
5
: a large unit of a governmental, business, or educational organization
6
: difference in opinion or interest : disagreement
7
: the mathematical operation of dividing something
8
: a category in most classifications of the plant kingdom that is equal to a phylum
divisional adjective

Medical Definition

division

noun
di·​vi·​sion də-ˈvizh-ən How to pronounce division (audio)
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
divisional adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on division

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