division

[ dih-vizh-uhn ]

noun

1. the act or process of dividing; state of being divided.

   Synonyms: distribution, allotment, apportionment, separation

2. Arithmetic. the operation inverse to multiplication; the finding of a quantity, the quotient, that when multiplied by a given quantity, the divisor, gives another given quantity, the dividend; the process of ascertaining how many times one number or quantity is contained in another.
3. something that divides or separates; partition.
4. something that marks a division; dividing line or mark.

   Synonyms: demarcation, boundary

5. one of the parts into which a thing is divided; section.

   Synonyms: segment, compartment

6. separation by difference of opinion or feeling; disagreement; dissension.

   Synonyms: estrangement, alienation, rupture, disunion, rift, breach

   Antonyms: union, accord

7. Government. the separation of a legislature, or the like, into two groups, in taking a vote.
8. one of the parts into which a country or an organization is divided for political, judicial, military, or other purposes.
9. Military.
   1. (in the army) a major administrative and tactical unit, larger than a regiment or brigade and smaller than a corps: it is usually commanded by a major general.
   2. (in the navy) a number of ships, usually four, forming a tactical group that is part of a fleet or squadron.
10. a major autonomous or semi-independent but subordinate administrative unit of an industrial enterprise, government bureau, transportation system, or university:

    the sales division of our company; the Division of Humanities.

11. (in sports) a category or class containing all the teams or competitors grouped together according to standing, skill, weight, age, or the like:

    a team in the first division; the heavyweight division in boxing.

12. Botany. a major primary subdivision of the plant kingdom, consisting of one or more classes; plant phylum.
13. Zoology. any subdivision of a classificatory group or category.
14. Horticulture. a type of propagation in which new plants are grown from segments separated from the parent plant.
15. the ornamentation of a melodic line in 17th- and 18th-century music.

division

/ dɪˈvɪʒən /

noun

1. the act of dividing or state of being divided
2. the act of sharing out; distribution
3. something that divides or keeps apart, such as a boundary
4. one of the parts, groups, etc, into which something is divided
5. a part of a government, business, country, etc, that has been made into a unit for administrative, political, or other reasons
6. a formal vote in Parliament or a similar legislative body
7. a difference of opinion, esp one that causes separation
8. (in sports) a section, category, or class organized according to age, weight, skill, etc
9. a mathematical operation, the inverse of multiplication, in which the quotient of two numbers or quantities is calculated. Usually written: a ÷ b , , a / b
10. 1. army a major formation, larger than a regiment or brigade but smaller than a corps, containing the necessary arms to sustain independent combat
    2. navy a group of ships of similar type or a tactical unit of naval aircraft
    3. air force an organization normally comprising two or more wings with required support units
11. plural navy the assembly of all crew members for the captain's inspection
12. biology (in traditional classification systems) a major category of the plant kingdom that contains one or more related classes Compare phylum
13. horticulture any type of propagation in plants in which a new plant grows from a separated part of the original
14. logic the fallacy of inferring that the properties of the whole are also true of the parts, as Britain is in debt, so John Smith is in debt
15. (esp in 17th-century English music) the art of breaking up a melody into quick phrases, esp over a ground bass

division

/ dĭ-vĭzh′ən /

1. The act, process, or operation of finding out how many times one number or quantity is contained in another.
2. A taxonomic classification within the plant kingdom that ranks immediately above a class and corresponds to a phylum in other kingdoms.
3. See Table at taxonomy

Derived Forms

• diˈvisionally, adverb
• diˈvisional, adjective

Other Words From

• di·vision·al di·vision·ary adjective
• di·vision·al·ly adverb
• hyper·di·vision noun
• inter·di·vision noun
• inter·di·vision·al adjective
• inter·di·vision·al·ly adverb
• misdi·vision noun
• nondi·vision noun
• nondi·vision·al adjective
• predi·vision noun
• prodi·vision adjective
• redi·vision noun
• self-di·vision noun
• semi·di·vision noun
• super·di·vision noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of division¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English devisioun, divisioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin dīvīsiōn-, stem of dīvīsiō, from dīvīs(us) “divided” ( divisible ) + -iō -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of division¹

C14: from Latin dīvīsiō, from dīvidere to divide

Synonym Study

Division, partition suggest dividing into parts. Division usually means marking off or separating a whole into parts. Partition often adds the idea of allotting or assigning parts following division: partition of an estate, of a country.

Example Sentences

In an interview from 2011 with the Independent, Reeves is described as working for HBOS' retail division, after her job as an economist at the Bank of England.

From BBC

Both factories are being protected from the cuts, along with Ford’s transport operations division, which is based in Southampton.

From BBC

When the postseason Dodgers needed a hero, he had big hits in the division series opener, the division series clincher, and the clinching World Series Game 5.

From Los Angeles Times

New segments then emerge by the division of these cells.

From Science Daily

A new division within the Home Office, modelled on a Blair-era standards unit, will hope to drive up standards by tracking the performance of forces in priority areas.

From BBC

Related Words

• affiliate
• branch
• category
• class
• department
• section
• sector
• segment
• share
• split

More About Division

What is division?

Division is the act of dividing, or separating, a whole into pieces, as in Mom made a chart that shows the division of chores is fair.

A division is a piece of a whole, often with all divisions being equal in size.

A division is also something used as a dividing line or mark between areas, such as a line of chalk on the sidewalk.

Division can also be used figuratively to refer to a separation caused by a difference of opinion or disagreement, as in The division in our family was caused by a fight over whose macaroni and cheese was better.

In arithmetic, division is the process that involves determining how many times one number is contained in another. For example, if we wanted to know how many times 2 is contained in 8, we would use division to find out, dividing 8 into groups of 2.

Example: All questions related to funding and accounts should be sent to the accounting division.

Where does division come from?

The first records of the term division come from the 1300s. It ultimately comes from the Latin dīvidere, meaning “to divide.” Whether a division refers to a literal or figurative dividing, one part is separated from the whole.

In sports, play is divided up into divisions. In high school sports, a district is broken up into divisions based on how many students a school has, and that district is part of a larger division that is based on the geographic area. In college sports, divisions are created by geography, population, and funding. Finally, in professional sports, divisions are created by geography, both within countries and worldwide, depending on the sport.

In a business or organization, division can be used as a synonym for department. A division of an organization is a group of individuals who work together to accomplish a shared task for the organization, such as a sales division, which focuses on selling products.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to division?

• divisional (adjective)
• divisionally (adverb)
• hyperdivision (noun)
• interdivision (noun)

What are some synonyms for division?

• separation
• distribution
• affiliate
• branch
• conflict
• discord

What are some words that share a root or word element with division? 

• divide
• divisible
• divisibility

What are some words that often get used in discussing division?

• distribution
• general
• line
• partition

How is division used in real life?

Division is a common word with many uses and senses.

i just found out that the division symbol (÷) is just a blank fraction with dots replacing the numerator and denominator. oh my god.

— abdul 🌌🔭 (@Advil) September 11, 2017

Dallas will host Philadelphia next week in an NFC East Championship game.
Winner takes the division.

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 22, 2013

Set-up crew dispatched to Austin, PR division arrived in NYC for 48hr media trip with @AlexanderRossi. Sun's beating down on Manhattan ☀️🗽

— Manor Racing (@ManorRacing) October 18, 2015

 

Try using division!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for division?

A. department
B. whole
C. segment
D. branch