riven

[ riv-uhn ]

verb

1. a past participle of rive.

adjective

1. rent or split apart.
2. split radially, as a log.

Other Words From

• un·riven adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of riven¹

First recorded in 1275–1325, for the adjective

Example Sentences

But the club has also been riven by bitter arguments over its core mission.

From Los Angeles Times

A world increasingly riven by renewed great power rivalries and historic animosities is further weakened by Oval Office instability, exemplified by ill-advised remarks, ill-timed threats and outright lies.

From Los Angeles Times

The Times’ Joshua Rothkopf compared its story to Tom Wolfe’s “The Bonfire of the Vanities,” “a funhouse image of a clashing New York City riven by money, power and race.”

From Los Angeles Times

He also warned that the country was riven with deep divisions between the haves and have-nots.

From BBC

There are college campuses riven by protests and great uncertainty over cease-fire prospects.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• busted
• collapsed
• cracked
• crumbled
• crushed
• damaged
• defective
• demolished
• destroyed
• fractured
• fragmented
• injured
• mangled
• mutilated
• ruptured
• severed
• shattered
• smashed
• splintered