division

noun

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

Gudin led one of the divisions in the assault and was hit by a cannonball, which smashed his legs. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Remains of Napoleonic General Believed to Have Been Found in Russian Park," 12 July 2019 The marine division and dive team started to search for the man about 2½ miles out of the Clinton River. — Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, "Boater left stranded on Lake St. Clair after captain goes overboard," 9 July 2019 Chuck Lovell, who has served as Outlaw’s executive assistant, will lead this new division and report directly to the chief. — oregonlive.com, "Portland police chief creates an inspector general office and new community services division," 9 July 2019 Ava Darling took second place in the girls division and Nikki Bayles had his best meet of the season and captured his second straight first place finish in the 15-18 boys age group. — Randy Mcroberts, baltimoresun.com, "Aberdeen dive team beats Crofton for second win," 8 July 2019 This summer two current Collegiate Challenge students are working in the Spring Branch ISD Finance division and two former program participants are working in the Community Relations office. — Becky Wuerth, Houston Chronicle, "Collegiate Challenge Scholars add to resumes with internships in SBISD," 6 July 2019 The division and lieutenant governor now have 60 days to confirm the validity of the signatures and review the initiative for legality. — James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, "New ballot initiative seeks to change state elections," 5 July 2019 Heading into Monday’s off-day, Washington has a 16 % chance to win the division and a 50% chance at making the playoffs, numbers both the Phillies and Mets should envy. — Neil Greenberg, The Denver Post, "The NL East was supposed to have four good teams. Turns out it only has one.," 24 June 2019 The series, the top development division in the Mazda Road to Indy, races again at 8:50 a.m. Sunday. — Dave Kallmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Colton Herta is young and smooth and on the pole for IndyCar at Road America," 22 June 2019

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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Dictionary Entries near division

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Last Updated

14 Jul 2019

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Time Traveler for division

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

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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