distribute implies an apportioning by separation of something into parts, units, or amounts.
distributed food to the needy
dispense suggests the giving of a carefully weighed or measured portion to each of a group according to due or need.
dispensed wisdom to the students
divide stresses the separation of a whole into parts and implies that the parts are equal.
three charitable groups divided the proceeds
deal emphasizes the allotment of something piece by piece.
deal out equipment and supplies
dole out implies a carefully measured portion of something that is often in short supply.
doled out what little food there was
Example Sentences
Verb
She divided the pie into eight pieces.
The equator divides the Earth into two hemispheres.
The river divides after the bridge.
A tall fence divides the two yards.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Instead of performing regular addition, divide the sum of any two numbers by 4 and take the remainder.—Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 12 Jan. 2023 The justices do not always divide along the usual lines in public corruption cases.—Adam Liptak, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2022 Without cohesiveness and unity with our allies, autocratic forces will divide and conquer the bickering West.—Jamie Dimon, WSJ, 3 Jan. 2023 In this way, these laws divide workers against each other—and undermine worker solidarity.—Steven Greenhouse, The New Republic, 29 Dec. 2022 Such a move would further divide the nation, if that's possible.—Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 28 Dec. 2022 The office will divide and distribute the donation to each school in the area, and funds will be used to help low-income families receive lunch money for students, plus other necessary goods.—Diane J. Cho, Peoplemag, 27 Dec. 2022 The Lower and Upper Basin states, though, could all divide the water in the river proportionately, each taking a percentage of what flowed.—Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 22 Dec. 2022 How will voters on the East Coast divide their votes without a contender in their region?—Dallas News, 5 Dec. 2022
Noun
But Amine Bouhafa’s fine score, all ominous cello and somber bass, suggests that something more profound and destabilizing than the class divide is lying in wait, just beyond the hazy horizon.—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 20 Jan. 2023 Is Biden’s unpopularity simply a reflection of Donald Trump’s toxic legacy and the country’s unbridgeable divide?—Matt Bai, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2023 But in a time when change is the watchword, the nation’s political divide looks remarkably durable.—Dante Chinni, NBC News, 15 Jan. 2023 The debate over the ban on the floors of both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly made clear the stark divide on the issue.—Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2023 Much like the divide over electric cars—US president Joe Biden has pushed the new electric options, but some Republicans cite them as costly and inconvenient—the stove finds itself at the center of a culture war.—WIRED, 12 Jan. 2023 The environmental movement to some extent enabled this cultural divide in prior decades with its emphasis on personal consumption, which lends itself to a view of environmentalism as a matter of identity politics.—Liza Featherstone, The New Republic, 12 Jan. 2023 But that does not mean there is no hope for bridging that divide.—Dominik Stecuła, The Conversation, 5 Jan. 2023 During evening rush-hour traffic, a driver crashed a black Audi into the center divide along Interstate 8 in Mission Valley.—Andrew Joseph Garcia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Jan. 2023 See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'divide.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, from Latin dividere, from dis- + -videre to separate — more at widow
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