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

Since 2017 employees in the technology division and the digital sphere have been allowed to exercise a more relaxed dress code, presumably as a way to attract talent from more casual-dress tech jobs. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "Goldman Sachs Just Announced a More Casual Dress Code," 5 Mar. 2019 BMO Research analyst Keith Bachman said critical operations including IBM’s business and technology services divisions did well in the quarter. — Marley Jay, The Seattle Times, "US stocks climb after strong earnings; IBM leads Dow rally," 23 Jan. 2019 The email was sent to the head of Uber’s autonomous vehicle division and other top executives and lawyers by a manager in the group. — Jon Porter, The Verge, "Uber manager raised concerns about self-driving program just days before fatal collision," 11 Dec. 2018 Jesse and Phillip Lancarte run Esperanza’s, named for Hope Lancarte, as well the company’s catering division. — star-telegram, "A day in the life of Joe T. Garcia's," 11 July 2018 On the positive side, Voxx’s automotive technology division, which employs more than 250 people in a 117,000-square-foot facility in Orlando, saw sales jump from $37 million to $39.6 million. — Marco Santana, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Voxx hopes upcoming Nissan, Mazda deals spur growth," 11 July 2018 The US Department of Justice’s antitrust division has also opened an inquiry. — Jeff Stein, BostonGlobe.com, "Mass., 10 other states probing fast-food industry policy that stops workers from changing jobs," 9 July 2018 The Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are known for having an iconic rivalry in the AFC North, whereas Eric never played for a team in the same division. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Get All 'The Masked Singer' Spoilers You Could Ever Want," 10 Jan. 2019 Yet if the goal was to erase caste divisions in public life, India has failed spectacularly. — Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, "India’s Ethnic Quotas Are a Cautionary Tale," 24 Jan. 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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Last Updated

10 Mar 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