Standard Lemma guide

divide

noun · verb · 26 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /dɪˈvaɪd/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪd
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 V AY1 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A thing that divides.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Stay on your side of the divide, please.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An act of dividing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The divide left most of the good land on my share of the property.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A distancing between two people or things.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • There is a great divide between us.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A large chasm, gorge, or ravine between two areas of land.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: geography, natural-sciences

Examples

  • If you're heading to the coast, you'll have to cross the divide first.
  • The team crossed streams and jumped across deep, narrow divides in the glacier.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The topographical boundary dividing two adjacent catchment basins, such as a ridge or a crest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: geography, hydrology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To split or separate (something) into two or more parts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • a wall divides two houses; a stream divides the towns

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cut up, disunite, partition, split, split up

Antonyms: combine, merge, unify, unite

7

verb

Meaning 7

To separate into two or more parts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: separate, shear, split, split up

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To share (something) by dividing it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • How shall we divide this pie?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: divvy up, divide up, share, share out, apportion

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To cause (a group of people) to disagree.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Words divide us; Wiktionary unites us.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To calculate the quotient number by which another one (the divisor) is multiplied to produce a second number (the dividend).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: arithmetic

Examples

  • If you divide 6 by 3, you get 2.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: multiply

11

verb

Meaning 11

To be a divisor of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: arithmetic

Examples

  • 3 divides 6.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To reproduce by either mitosis or meiosis.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Topics: biology, cytology, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To disunite in opinion or interest; to make discordant or hostile; to set at variance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To break friendship; to fall out.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

To have a share; to partake.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

verb

Meaning 16

To vote, as in the British parliament and other legislatures, by the members separating themselves into two parties (as on opposite sides of the hall or in opposite lobbies), that is, the ayes dividing from the nays.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Qualifier: parliamentary jargon

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

verb

Meaning 17

To split (something) into regular steps or intervals; to mark with degrees; to graduate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • to divide a sextant

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

18

verb

Meaning 18

To play or sing in a florid style, or with variations.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

19

noun

Meaning 19

a ridge of land that separates two adjacent river systems

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: watershed, water parting

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: line

Narrower terms: continental divide, Great Divide

20

noun

Meaning 20

a serious disagreement between two groups of people (typically producing tension or hostility)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disagreement, dissension, dissonance

21

verb

Meaning 21

perform a division

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Can you divide 49 by seven?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fraction

Antonyms: multiply

Broader terms: calculate, cipher, cypher, compute, work out, reckon, figure

Narrower terms: halve, quarter

22

verb

Meaning 22

force, take, or pull apart

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He separated the fighting children
  • Moses parted the Red Sea

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: separate, disunite, part

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: move, displace

Narrower terms: compartmentalize, compartmentalise, cut up, polarize, polarise, sequester, sequestrate, keep apart, set apart, isolate, disjoin, disjoint, disarticulate, disconnect, cut, tear, joint, gin, break, sever, break up, rupture, snap, bust

23

verb

Meaning 23

come apart

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The two pieces that we had glued separated

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: separate, part

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change

Narrower terms: subdivide, polarize, polarise, calve, break up, chip, chip off, come off, break away, break off, disjoin, disjoint, detach, come away, segregate, segment, reduce, section, partition, partition off, dismember, take apart, discerp, gerrymander

24

verb

Meaning 24

make a division or separation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: separate

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: partition, zone, break, disperse, dissipate, dispel, break up, scatter, rail, rail off, detach, shut off, close off

25

verb

Meaning 25

separate into parts or portions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • divide the cake into three equal parts
  • The British carved up the Ottoman Empire after World War I

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: split, split up, separate, dissever, carve up

Antonyms: unite

Broader terms: change integrity

Narrower terms: subdivide, format, initialize, initialise, sectionalize, sectionalise, triangulate, unitize, unitise, lot, parcel, sliver, splinter, paragraph, canton, Balkanize, Balkanise

26

verb

Meaning 26

act as a barrier between; stand between

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The mountain range divides the two countries

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: separate

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh1 Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh1 Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Indo-European *dheh1- Proto-Indo-European *h1weydhh1-der. Proto-Italic *wiðō Latin *vidō Latin dīvidōder. Middle English dividen English divide PIE word *dwóh1 From Middle English dividen, from Latin dīvidere (“to divide”). Displaced native Old English tōdǣlan.

Across languages

Translations

241 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: разделение (razdelenie) — thing that divides
  • Esperanto: dividaĵo — thing that divides
  • German: Trennlinie — thing that divides
  • German: Abtrennung — thing that divides
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skille — thing that divides
  • Polish: podział — thing that divides
  • Bulgarian: разделяне (razdeljane) — act of dividing
  • German: Teilung — act of dividing
  • Spanish: división — act of dividing
  • Bulgarian: разделение (razdelenie) — distancing
  • Esperanto: divido — distancing
  • German: Kluft — distancing
  • German: Graben — distancing
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skille — distancing
  • Polish: podział — distancing
  • French: fossé — large chasm, gorge or ravine between two areas of land
  • German: Kluft — large chasm, gorge or ravine between two areas of land
  • German: Schlucht — large chasm, gorge or ravine between two areas of land
  • German: Graben — large chasm, gorge or ravine between two areas of land
  • Bulgarian: вододел (vododel) — topographical boundary dividing two adjacent catchment basins
  • German: Wasserscheide — topographical boundary dividing two adjacent catchment basins
  • Spanish: divisoria — topographical boundary dividing two adjacent catchment basins
  • Albanian: pjesëtoj — split into two or more parts
  • Arabic: قَسَّمَ (qassama) — split into two or more parts
  • Armenian: բաժանել (bažanel) — split into two or more parts
  • Armenian: կիսել (kisel) — split into two or more parts
  • Aromanian: mpartu — split into two or more parts
  • Azerbaijani: bölmək — split into two or more parts
  • Balinese: dum — split into two or more parts
  • Bangi: kabola — split into two or more parts
  • Belarusian: дзялі́ць (dzjalícʹ) — split into two or more parts
  • Bulgarian: разде́лям (razdéljam) — split into two or more parts
  • Catalan: dividir — split into two or more parts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 分 (fēn) — split into two or more parts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 分裂 (fēnliè) — split into two or more parts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 隔 (gé) — split into two or more parts
  • Ngazidja Comorian: upasua — split into two or more parts
  • Czech: dělit — split into two or more parts
  • Dutch: verdelen — split into two or more parts
  • Esperanto: onigi — split into two or more parts
  • Esperanto: partigi — split into two or more parts
  • Esperanto: disigi — split into two or more parts
  • Estonian: jagama — split into two or more parts
  • Finnish: jakaa — split into two or more parts
  • French: diviser — split into two or more parts
  • French: fendre — split into two or more parts
  • Galician: dividir — split into two or more parts
  • German: aufteilen — split into two or more parts
  • German: teilen — split into two or more parts
  • German: einteilen — split into two or more parts
  • Gothic: 𐌳𐌰𐌹𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (dailjan) — split into two or more parts
  • Ancient Greek: μερίζω (merízō) — split into two or more parts
  • Ancient Greek: χωρίζω (khōrízō) — split into two or more parts
  • Ancient Greek: διαιρέω (diairéō) — split into two or more parts
  • Hebrew: חילק (khilék) — split into two or more parts
  • Hebrew: פיצל (pitzél) — split into two or more parts
  • Hindi: बांटना (bāṇṭnā) — split into two or more parts
  • Hungarian: oszt — split into two or more parts
  • Hungarian: feloszt — split into two or more parts
  • Icelandic: hluta — split into two or more parts
  • Irish: deighil — split into two or more parts
  • Irish: roinn — split into two or more parts
  • Old Irish: rannaid — split into two or more parts
  • Italian: dividere — split into two or more parts
  • Japanese: 分割する (bunkatsu suru) — split into two or more parts
  • Japanese: 分ける (wakeru) — split into two or more parts
  • Javanese: dum — split into two or more parts
  • Korean: 나누다 (nanuda) — split into two or more parts
  • Korean: 가르다 (gareuda) — split into two or more parts
  • Latgalian: daleit — split into two or more parts
  • Latin: dīvidō — split into two or more parts
  • Latvian: dalīt — split into two or more parts
  • Lingala: kabola — split into two or more parts
  • Lithuanian: dalinti — split into two or more parts
  • Lithuanian: išskirti — split into two or more parts
  • Maguindanao: baad — split into two or more parts
  • Malay: bahagian — split into two or more parts
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: ba'ad — split into two or more parts
  • Māori: kokoti — split into two or more parts
  • Māori: wehe — split into two or more parts
  • Māori: kōwae — split into two or more parts
  • Māori: kōwaewae — split into two or more parts
  • Māori: tāuteute — split into two or more parts
  • Māori: totoe — split into two or more parts
  • Maranao: bagi' — split into two or more parts
  • Maranao: ba'ad — split into two or more parts
  • Occitan: dividir — split into two or more parts
  • Old English: tōdǣlan — split into two or more parts
  • Persian: قسمیدن — split into two or more parts
  • Polabian: ai̯delĕt — split into two or more parts
  • Polish: dzielić — split into two or more parts
  • Polish: podzielić — split into two or more parts
  • Portuguese: dividir — split into two or more parts
  • Portuguese: separar — split into two or more parts
  • Punjabi: وَنْڈݨا (vanḍṇā) — split into two or more parts
  • Romanian: despărți — split into two or more parts
  • Romanian: divide — split into two or more parts
  • Romanian: diviza — split into two or more parts
  • Romanian: împărți — split into two or more parts
  • Russian: дели́ть (delítʹ) — split into two or more parts
  • Russian: разделя́ть (razdeljátʹ) — split into two or more parts
  • Serbo-Croatian: dijeliti — split into two or more parts
  • Serbo-Croatian: podijeliti — split into two or more parts
  • Sicilian: spàrtiri — split into two or more parts
  • Slovak: deliť — split into two or more parts
  • Slovak: rozdeliť — split into two or more parts
  • Somali: qaybin — split into two or more parts
  • Lower Sorbian: źěliś — split into two or more parts
  • Southern Altai: бӧлӧр (bölör) — split into two or more parts
  • Spanish: desunir — split into two or more parts
  • Spanish: dividir — split into two or more parts
  • Spanish: devisar — split into two or more parts
  • Spanish: cisionar — split into two or more parts
  • Swahili: -gawa — split into two or more parts
  • Swedish: dela — split into two or more parts
  • Swedish: klyva — split into two or more parts
  • Telugu: విభజించు (vibhajiñcu) — split into two or more parts
  • Tocharian B: putk- — split into two or more parts
  • Ukrainian: діли́ти (dilýty) — split into two or more parts
  • Vietnamese: chia — split into two or more parts
  • Zazaki: heti kerden — split into two or more parts
  • ǃXóõ: khàla — split into two or more parts
  • Albanian: pjesëtoj — divide up; share by dividing
  • Armenian: բաժանել (bažanel) — divide up; share by dividing
  • Armenian: կիսել (kisel) — divide up; share by dividing
  • Bulgarian: разде́лям (razdéljam) — divide up; share by dividing
  • Catalan: dividir — divide up; share by dividing
  • Czech: dělit — divide up; share by dividing
  • Dutch: delen — divide up; share by dividing
  • Egyptian: Q3:O34-N37:Z9-Y1 (psš) — divide up; share by dividing
  • Esperanto: dividi — divide up; share by dividing
  • Esperanto: partigi — divide up; share by dividing
  • Estonian: jagama — divide up; share by dividing
  • Finnish: jakaa — divide up; share by dividing
  • French: partager — divide up; share by dividing
  • Galician: dividir — divide up; share by dividing
  • Galician: repartir — divide up; share by dividing
  • German: teilen — divide up; share by dividing
  • Greek: μοιράζω (moirázo) — divide up; share by dividing
  • Hebrew: חילק (khilék) — divide up; share by dividing
  • Irish: roinn — divide up; share by dividing
  • Italian: dividere — divide up; share by dividing
  • Italian: spartire — divide up; share by dividing
  • Italian: spartirsi — divide up; share by dividing
  • Korean: 나누다 (nanuda) — divide up; share by dividing
  • Lithuanian: padalinti — divide up; share by dividing
  • Neapolitan: sparte — divide up; share by dividing
  • Persian: بخشیدن — divide up; share by dividing
  • Polabian: ai̯delĕt — divide up; share by dividing
  • Polish: dzielić — divide up; share by dividing
  • Polish: podzielić — divide up; share by dividing
  • Portuguese: dividir — divide up; share by dividing
  • Portuguese: repartir — divide up; share by dividing
  • Punjabi: وَنْڈݨا (vanḍṇā) — divide up; share by dividing
  • Quechua: rakiy — divide up; share by dividing
  • Romanian: divide — divide up; share by dividing
  • Sanskrit: भजति (bhajati) — divide up; share by dividing
  • Sicilian: spàrtiri — divide up; share by dividing
  • Sicilian: spartìrisi — divide up; share by dividing
  • Lower Sorbian: źěliś — divide up; share by dividing
  • Spanish: dividir — divide up; share by dividing
  • Spanish: repartir — divide up; share by dividing
  • Swahili: -gawa — divide up; share by dividing
  • Swedish: dela — divide up; share by dividing
  • Tagalog: hatiin — divide up; share by dividing
  • Telugu: పంచుకొను (pañcukonu) — divide up; share by dividing
  • Arabic: قَسَّمَ (qassama) — calculate quotient
  • Armenian: բաժանել (bažanel) — calculate quotient
  • Asturian: dividir — calculate quotient
  • Basque: zatitu — calculate quotient
  • Belarusian: дзялі́ць (dzjalícʹ) — calculate quotient
  • Bulgarian: деля́ (deljá) — calculate quotient
  • Catalan: dividir — calculate quotient
  • Chinese Mandarin: 除 (chú) — calculate quotient
  • Czech: dělit — calculate quotient
  • Danish: dividere — calculate quotient
  • Dutch: delen — calculate quotient
  • Esperanto: dividi — calculate quotient
  • Esperanto: onigi — calculate quotient
  • Esperanto: partigi — calculate quotient
  • Estonian: jagama — calculate quotient
  • Finnish: jakaa — calculate quotient
  • French: diviser — calculate quotient
  • Galician: dividir — calculate quotient
  • German: dividieren — calculate quotient
  • German: teilen — calculate quotient
  • Hebrew: חילק (khilék) — calculate quotient
  • Hungarian: oszt — calculate quotient
  • Irish: roinn — calculate quotient
  • Italian: dividere — calculate quotient
  • Japanese: 割る (waru) — calculate quotient
  • Khmer: ចែក (caek) — calculate quotient
  • Khmer: ហារ (haa) — calculate quotient
  • Korean: 나누다 (nanuda) — calculate quotient
  • Māori: whakawehe — calculate quotient
  • Mongolian: хуваах (xuvaax) — calculate quotient
  • Navajo: ałtsʼájíniłgo — calculate quotient
  • Norwegian: dele — calculate quotient
  • Norwegian: delt på — calculate quotient
  • Norwegian: dividere — calculate quotient
  • Polish: dzielić — calculate quotient
  • Polish: podzielić — calculate quotient
  • Portuguese: dividir — calculate quotient
  • Quechua: rakiy — calculate quotient
  • Romanian: diviza — calculate quotient
  • Russian: дели́ть (delítʹ) — calculate quotient
  • Russian: раздели́ть (razdelítʹ) — calculate quotient
  • Sicilian: divìdiri — calculate quotient
  • Spanish: dividir — calculate quotient
  • Swedish: dividera — calculate quotient
  • Tagalog: hatiin — calculate quotient
  • Tagalog: maghati — calculate quotient
  • Telugu: భాగించు (bhāgiñcu) — calculate quotient
  • Thai: หาร (hǎan) — calculate quotient
  • Ukrainian: діли́ти (dilýty) — calculate quotient
  • Vietnamese: chia — calculate quotient
  • Bulgarian: разделям (razdeljam) — separate into two or more parts
  • Finnish: jakautua — separate into two or more parts
  • Finnish: jakaantua — separate into two or more parts
  • French: se diviser — separate into two or more parts
  • Irish: roinn — separate into two or more parts
  • Italian: dividersi — separate into two or more parts
  • Korean: 쪼개다 (jjogaeda) — separate into two or more parts
  • Māori: whakawehe — separate into two or more parts
  • Middle English: scheden — separate into two or more parts
  • Persian: جداییدن — separate into two or more parts
  • Persian: سواییدن — separate into two or more parts
  • Portuguese: dividir-se — separate into two or more parts
  • Portuguese: separar-se — separate into two or more parts
  • Portuguese: partir — separate into two or more parts
  • Romanian: se diviza — separate into two or more parts
  • Sicilian: spàrtiri — separate into two or more parts
  • Sicilian: scucchiari — separate into two or more parts
  • Spanish: desunir — separate into two or more parts
  • Swahili: -gawa — separate into two or more parts
  • Bulgarian: деля се (delja se) — of a cell
  • Finnish: jakautua — of a cell
  • French: se diviser — of a cell
  • Irish: roinn — of a cell
  • Romanian: se diviza — of a cell
  • Swedish: dela sig — of a cell
Real reading context

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