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schism

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noun \ ˈsi-zəm , ˈski- also ˈshi- ; among clergy usually ˈsi- \

Definition of schism

1 :division, separation; also :discord, disharmony
  • a schism between political parties
2 a :formal division in or separation from a church or religious body
b :the offense of promoting schism

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Examples of schism in a Sentence

  1. a schism between leading members of the party

  2. The church was divided by schism.

Recent Examples of schism from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'schism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of schism

Middle English scisme, from Anglo-French scisme, cisme, from Late Latin schismat-, schisma, from Greek, cleft, division, from schizein to split — more at shed

schism Synonyms

Synonyms
conflict, disaccord, discordance, discordancy, disharmony, dissension (also dissention), dissent, dissidence, dissonance, disunion, disunity, division, friction, infighting, inharmony, discord, strife, variance, war, warfare
Antonyms
accord, agreement, concord, concordance, harmony, peace
Related Words
clash, collision, competition, contention; altercation, argument, bicker, brawl, debate, disagreement, dispute, divide, fissure; falling-out, fight, hassle, jar, miff, mix-up, quarrel, row, run-in, scrap, spat, squabble, tiff, wrangle; incompatibility, incongruence, incongruity, incongruousness, inconsistence, inconsistency, inconsonance, inharmoniousness; animosity, antagonism, antipathy, cold war, enmity, hostility, ill will, rancor
Near Antonyms
concurrence, cooperation

SCHISM Defined for English Language Learners

schism

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noun

Definition of schism for English Language Learners

  • : a division among the members of a group that occurs because they disagree on something

Learn More about schism

  1. See words that rhyme with schism Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for schism Spanish Central: Translation of schism Nglish: Translation of schism for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of schism for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about schism

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Examples: schism in a Sentence