Standard Lemma guide

partition

noun · verb · 22 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /pɑːˈtɪ.ʃən/
  • Received-Pronunciation: [phɑːˈthɪ.ʃn̩]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /pɑɹˈtɪ.ʃən/
  • General-American: [phɑɹˈthɪ.ʃn̩]
  • rhymes with -ɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: P AA0 R T IH1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • the partitions of Poland

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A part of something that has been divided.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • the Russian Partition

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An approach to division in which one asks what the size of each part is, rather than (as in quotition) how many parts there are.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The division of a territory into two or more autonomous ones.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Monarchies where partition isn't prohibited risk weakening through parcellation and civil wars between the heirs.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A vertical structure that divides a room.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • a brick partition; lath and plaster partitions

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

That which divides or separates; that by which different things, or distinct parts of the same thing, are separated; boundary; dividing line or space.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A part divided off by walls; an apartment; a compartment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

The severance of common or undivided interests, particularly in real estate. It may be effected by consent of parties, or by compulsion of law.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A section of a hard disk separately formatted.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

A division of a database or one of its constituting elements such as tables into separate independent parts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: computing, databases, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

A division of a data stream, such as a messaging queue or topic (often representing a unit of parallelism, and of fault tolerance).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

A collection of non-empty, disjoint subsets of a set whose union is the set itself (i.e. all elements of the set are contained in exactly one of the subsets).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: mathematics, sciences, set-theory

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

A musical score.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To divide something into parts, sections or shares.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • to partition a hard drive

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

To divide a region or country into two or more territories with separate political status.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Poland was progressively partitioned by Russia, Austria, and Prussia in the late 18th century.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

verb

Meaning 16

To separate or divide a room by a partition (ex. a wall), often use with off.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

noun

Meaning 17

the act of dividing or partitioning; separation by the creation of a boundary that divides or keeps apart

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: division, partitioning, segmentation, sectionalization, sectionalisation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: separation

Narrower terms: subdivision, septation, zoning

18

noun

Meaning 18

a vertical structure that divides or separates (as a wall divides one room from another)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: divider

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: structure, construction

Narrower terms: brattice, bulkhead, screen, wall

19

noun

Meaning 19

(anatomy) a structure that separates areas in an organism

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: body part

Narrower terms: septum

20

noun

Meaning 20

(computer science) the part of a hard disk that is dedicated to a particular operating system or application and accessed as a single unit

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: computer memory unit

21

verb

Meaning 21

separate or apportion into sections

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • partition a room off

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: zone

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: separate, divide

Narrower terms: screen off, separate off

22

verb

Meaning 22

divide into parts, pieces, or sections

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The Arab peninsula was partitioned by the British

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: partition off

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: separate, divide, part

Narrower terms: pound, pound off

History

Etymology

Recorded c.1430, "division into shares, distinction," from Middle English particioun, from Old French particion (modern partition), from Latin partitio, partitionem (“division, portion”), from partitus, the past participle of partire (“to split (up), part(ition)”).

Across languages

Translations

154 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تَقْسِيم (taqsīm) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Arabic: تَقْسِيم (tagsīm) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Bengali: বিভাজন (bibhajon) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Bengali: তকসিম (tokśim) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Bulgarian: разделяне (razdeljane) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Dutch: opdeling — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Dutch: partitie — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Dutch: splitsing — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Dutch: verdeling — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Finnish: ositus — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Finnish: osittaminen — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Finnish: jako — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Finnish: jakaminen — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Galician: partición — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Georgian: დანაწილება (danac̣ileba) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • German: Teilung — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Greek: διαμερισμός (diamerismós) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Greek: μερισμός (merismós) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Greek: τεμαχισμός (temachismós) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Greek: διχοτόμηση (dichotómisi) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Hindi: बँटवारा (bãṭvārā) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Hindi: विभाजन (vibhājan) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Ido: partigo — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Irish: deighilt — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Japanese: 分割 (bunkatsu) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Malayalam: വിഭജനം (vibhajanaṁ) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Māori: wāwāhanga — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Māori: pātaki — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Russian: разделе́ние (razdelénije) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Russian: деле́ние (delénije) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Russian: разде́л (razdél) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Russian: расчлене́ние (rasčlenénije) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Sanskrit: विभाजन (vibhājana) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Urdu: تقسیم (taqasīm) — action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another
  • Bulgarian: част (čast) — part of something that has been divided
  • Bulgarian: подразделение (podrazdelenie) — part of something that has been divided
  • Dutch: aandeel — part of something that has been divided
  • Dutch: deel — part of something that has been divided
  • Dutch: part — part of something that has been divided
  • Finnish: osuus — part of something that has been divided
  • Finnish: osa — part of something that has been divided
  • Galician: partición — part of something that has been divided
  • Greek: κατάτμηση (katátmisi) — part of something that has been divided
  • Greek: μέρισμα (mérisma) — part of something that has been divided
  • Greek: διαμέρισμα (diamérisma) — part of something that has been divided
  • Greek: τεμάχιο (temáchio) — part of something that has been divided
  • Russian: отделе́ние (otdelénije) — part of something that has been divided
  • Russian: се́кция (sékcija) — part of something that has been divided
  • Russian: яче́йка (jačéjka) — part of something that has been divided
  • Russian: разде́л (razdél) — part of something that has been divided
  • Spanish: parte — part of something that has been divided
  • Turkish: bölme — part of something that has been divided
  • Dutch: opdeling — division of a territory
  • Dutch: partitie — division of a territory
  • Dutch: splitsing — division of a territory
  • Esperanto: disdivido — division of a territory
  • Finnish: jako — division of a territory
  • Finnish: jakaminen — division of a territory
  • Greek: διχοτόμηση (dichotómisi) — division of a territory
  • Greek: διαίρεση (diaíresi) — division of a territory
  • Hindi: विभाजन (vibhājan) — division of a territory
  • Japanese: 分割 (bunkatsu) — division of a territory
  • Malayalam: വിഭജനം (vibhajanaṁ) — division of a territory
  • Russian: деле́ние (delénije) — division of a territory
  • Sindhi: ورهاڱي (orhāṅe) — division of a territory
  • Spanish: partición — division of a territory
  • Arabic: بارتشن (bārtišin, pārtišin) — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Azerbaijani: arakəsmə — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Bengali: পার্টিশন (parṭiśon) — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Bulgarian: преграда (pregrada) — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Catalan: envà — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Chinese Mandarin: 隔墙 (géqiáng) — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Finnish: tilanjakaja — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Galician: división — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Greek: χώρισμα (chórisma) — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Hebrew: מְחִיצָה (meẖitzá) — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Hindi: पल्ला (pallā) — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Irish: spiara — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Irish: landair — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Japanese: パーティション (pātishon) — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Japanese: 間仕切り (majikiri) — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Korean: 칸막이 (kanmagi) — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skillevegg — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: skiljevegg — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Persian: پارتیشن (pârtišen) — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Plautdietsch: Schetzel — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Plautdietsch: Scheedunk — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Russian: перегоро́дка (peregoródka) — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Russian: перебо́рка (perebórka) — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Southern Altai: бӧлгӱш (bölgüš) — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Southern Altai: бӧлӱҥӱш (bölüŋüš) — vertical structure that divides a room
  • Bengali: পার্টিশন (parṭiśon) — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • Cherokee: ᏓᏓᏓᎴᏛᎢ (dadadaledvi) — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • Chinese Mandarin: 分區 /分区 (fēnqū) — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • Czech: diskový oddíl — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • Finnish: osio — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • Finnish: levyosio — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • French: partition — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • German: Partition — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • Greek: κατάτμηση (katátmisi) — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • Italian: partizione — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • Japanese: パーティション (pātishon) — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • Māori: pātaki — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • Norwegian: partisjon — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • Persian: پارتیشن (pârtišen) — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • Polish: partycja — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • Portuguese: partição — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • Russian: разде́л (razdél) — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • Spanish: partición — section of a hard disk separately formatted
  • Czech: rozklad — collection of non-empty, disjoint subsets of a set
  • Finnish: ositus — collection of non-empty, disjoint subsets of a set
  • German: Partition — collection of non-empty, disjoint subsets of a set
  • German: Zerlegung — collection of non-empty, disjoint subsets of a set
  • German: Klasseneinteilung — collection of non-empty, disjoint subsets of a set
  • Greek: τμήμα (tmíma) — collection of non-empty, disjoint subsets of a set
  • Hebrew: חלוקה (chaluká) — collection of non-empty, disjoint subsets of a set
  • Icelandic: deildaskipting — collection of non-empty, disjoint subsets of a set
  • Japanese: 分割 (bunkatsu) — collection of non-empty, disjoint subsets of a set
  • Spanish: partición — collection of non-empty, disjoint subsets of a set
  • Bulgarian: разделям (razdeljam) — to divide something parts
  • Dutch: opdelen — to divide something parts
  • Dutch: splitsen — to divide something parts
  • Dutch: verdelen — to divide something parts
  • Finnish: osittaa — to divide something parts
  • Finnish: jakaa — to divide something parts
  • Ido: partigar — to divide something parts
  • Italian: partizionare — to divide something parts
  • Malayalam: വിഭജിക്കുക (vibhajikkuka) — to divide something parts
  • Russian: разделя́ть (razdeljátʹ) — to divide something parts
  • Russian: раздели́ть (razdelítʹ) — to divide something parts
  • Russian: расчленя́ть (rasčlenjátʹ) — to divide something parts
  • Russian: расчлени́ть (rasčlenítʹ) — to divide something parts
  • Spanish: partir — to divide something parts
  • Spanish: devisar — to divide something parts
  • Spanish: dividir — to divide something parts
  • Spanish: particionar — to divide something parts
  • Swedish: dela — to divide something parts
  • Swedish: dela upp — to divide something parts
  • Dutch: dismemberen — to divide into territories
  • Dutch: opdelen — to divide into territories
  • Dutch: splitsen — to divide into territories
  • Dutch: verdelen — to divide into territories
  • Esperanto: disdividi — to divide into territories
  • Finnish: jakaa — to divide into territories
  • Italian: suddividere — to divide into territories
  • Malayalam: വിഭജിക്കുക (vibhajikkuka) — to divide into territories
  • Russian: дели́ть (delítʹ) — to divide into territories
  • Russian: раздели́ть (razdelítʹ) — to divide into territories
  • Russian: расчленя́ть (rasčlenjátʹ) — to divide into territories
  • Russian: расчлени́ть (rasčlenítʹ) — to divide into territories
  • Bulgarian: преграждам (pregraždam) — to divide a room
  • Finnish: jakaa — to divide a room
  • Russian: перегороди́ть (peregorodítʹ) — to divide a room
  • Russian: перегора́живать (peregoráživatʹ) — to divide a room
Real reading context

partition in complete knowledge articles