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division

noun
di·​vi·​sion | \ dÉ™-ˈvi-zhÉ™n How to pronounce division (audio) \

Definition of division

1a : 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
4a : 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
6a : 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
7a : 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)
Other Words from division Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about division

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Other Words from division

divisional \ dÉ™-​ˈvizh-​nÉ™l How to pronounce divisional (audio) , -​ˈvi-​zhÉ™-​nᵊl \ adjective

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.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Sports Illustrated has tabbed Cleveland to win 11 games and its division. — Robert O'connell, The Atlantic, "Will This Be Cleveland’s Year?," 4 Sep. 2019 Mosby’s office, through its witness protection services division, agreed to help her relocate. — Juliana Kim, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore women called to testify in recent cases say their fears were largely ignored," 4 Sep. 2019 And a few guys will need to step up and separate themselves as premier water polo players in our league and in our division of CIF. — Matt Szabo, Daily Pilot, "High School Boys’ Water Polo Preview: Newport Harbor going on a ring quest," 4 Sep. 2019 For our purposes, the biggest change was that Colts not only felt out of favor as Super Bowl contenders but immediately became underdogs in their own division (more on that later). — Jim Ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: Sports gambling is legal in Indiana! Let's bet on the Colts," 4 Sep. 2019 My division is trying to be as active as possible to try to solve these, to get ahead of the curve, to try to tamp this down. — Los Angeles Times, "Gang crimes jump in San Diego," 3 Sep. 2019 My division is trying to be as active as possible to try to solve these, to get ahead of the curve, to try to tamp this down. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Gang crimes spike in San Diego," 3 Sep. 2019 You team has to win but then what happens with the other teams also matter in the rankings within your division. — al, "Alabama is poised to lose 1 congressional seat. Could it lose 2?," 1 Sep. 2019 What ought to be a moment to celebrate German unity looks increasingly like an occasion to highlight its divisions. — Dresden, The Economist, "Germany’s governing parties keep the far right at bay—just," 1 Sep. 2019

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

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First Known Use of division

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for division

Middle English, from Anglo-French devision, from Latin division-, divisio, from dividere to divide

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More Definitions for division

division

noun
How to pronounce division (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of division

: the act or process of dividing something into parts : the way that something is divided
: something that physically divides or separates something else
mathematics : the process of finding out how many times one number is contained in another

See the full definition for division in the English Language Learners Dictionary

division

noun
di·​vi·​sion | \ dÉ™-ˈvi-zhÉ™n How to pronounce division (audio) \

Kids Definition of division

1

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