division

noun

di·​vi·​sion də-ˈvi-zhən 

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 

-ˈvi-zhə-nᵊl

adjective

Synonyms

• divider
• partition
• separation
• separator

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

Disney in February merged its news division and its local stations under a single executive, Debra O’Connell, while NBCUniversal has steadily given Cesar Conde, chairman of its news operations, more say over local stations and its Spanish-language Telemundo division. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024

The stock gains come as Amazon has made big bets on generative artificial intelligence and has cut costs with layoffs across its Amazon Web Services cloud division. —Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 8 Apr. 2024

At the moment, neither team is leading its division. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024

The 16-team playoff would feature the division winners and wild cards. —Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024

As people age, there is a decrease in the enzyme that metabolizes alcohol, said Dr. Stephanie Collier, director of education in the division of geriatric psychiatry at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. —Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024

In New Hampshire as of early Thursday, more than 100,000 customers were without power, the state’s division of homeland security and emergency management said. —Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024

Disney has pledged $60 billion over the next 10 years in its experiences division, with at least half of that total dedicated to parks and resorts, according to a recent SEC filing. —Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024

By contrast, the division that makes gasoline and hybrid vehicles for consumers made a $7.5 billion profit. —Neal E. Boudette, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024

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

Phrases Containing division

• cell division
• division of labor
• division sign
• long division
• panzer division
• reduction division
• short division
• synthetic division

Kids Definition

division

noun

di·​vi·​sion də-ˈvizh-ən 

1

a

: the act or process of dividing : the state of being divided

b

: distribution sense 1

c

: cell division

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

-ˈvizh-(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Medical Definition

division

noun

di·​vi·​sion də-ˈvizh-ən 

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

-ˈvizh-nəl, -ˈvizh-ən-ᵊl 

adjective