division

noun

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di·vi·sion | \ də-ˈvi-zhən

Definition of division

1a : 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

4a : 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

6a : 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

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)

Other Words from division Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about division

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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 After the three games, each team will be matched against its corresponding seed for the opposing division. — Akeem Glaspie, The Indianapolis Star, "Overlooked but undeterred, UIndy's Al McKeller on cusp of breaking school's rushing record," 31 Mar. 2021 Lister, 43, of Molalla has worked for the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office for 14 years as a deputy, currently assigned to the patrol division. — oregonlive, "Oregon deputy’s flouting of bobcat trapping rules may lead to loss of police certification," 30 Mar. 2021 The crash is being investigated by the department’s traffic division with help from Metro Traffic Services, a regional team of crash investigators. — Christine Dempsey, courant.com, "Motorcyclist dies in weekend crash in Enfield," 29 Mar. 2021 The deal adds a portfolio of high-profile novels from authors such as George Orwell, Philip Roth and J.R.R. Tolkien to News Corp’s HarperCollins Publishers division. — WSJ, "News Corp to Buy Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Consumer-Publishing Arm for $349 Million," 29 Mar. 2021 In 1979, when he was hired as Miami’s eighth head coach in 10 years, there was talk about moving the football team to a less-competitive division or dropping the sport altogether. — Washington Post, "Howard Schnellenberger, college coach who built winning football tradition at Miami, dies at 87," 28 Mar. 2021 Another superstar looms over this heavyweight title matchup: The winner's next bout is likely against Jon Jones, the long-reigning light heavyweight champion who's currently moving up to combat sports' traditional glamour division. — Greg Beacham, Star Tribune, "Champion Miocic sees improved Ngannou before UFC 260 rematch," 26 Mar. 2021 The winner’s next bout is likely against Jon Jones, the long-reigning light heavyweight champion who’s currently moving up to combat sports’ traditional glamour division ... — BostonGlobe.com, "Hornets GM: LaMelo Ball could possibly return this season," 26 Mar. 2021 And Judd is the 20th person to be arrested in connection with the riot by the FBI’s Dallas division that covers the top half of Texas from the eastern to the western boundary of the state. — Kevin Krause, Dallas News, "Dallas FBI makes 20th arrest in connection with storming of the U.S. Capitol," 26 Mar. 2021

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.

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Last Updated

3 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Division.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/division. Accessed 10 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for division

division

noun

English Language Learners Definition of division

: 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

See the full definition for division in the English Language Learners Dictionary

division

noun

di·vi·sion | \ də-ˈvi-zhən

Kids Definition of division

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

division

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