chasm
Americannoun
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chasms
plural
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a yawning fissure or deep cleft in the earth's surface; gorge.
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a breach or wide fissure in a wall or other structure.
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a marked interruption of continuity; gap.
a chasm in time.
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a sundering breach in relations, as a divergence of opinions, beliefs, etc., between persons or groups.
noun
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a deep cleft in the ground; abyss
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a break in continuity; gap
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a wide difference in interests, feelings, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of chasm
1590–1600; apocopated variant of chasma < Latin < Greek, equivalent to cha- (root of chaínein to gape; see yawn) + -( a ) sma resultative suffix
Explanation
A chasm is a deep divide, either literal or figurative, such as a giant chasm in an ice cap or the growing chasm between two friends who haven't spoken in a long time. The first syllable in chasm sounds like cat without the t sound: "CA-zum." It comes from the Greek word khasma, meaning "yawning hollow, gulf" and was originally used to describe a split in a land formation, such as a deep crack caused by an earthquake. The word still retains that sense, but today can also mean "a profound division between people or beliefs," such as a chasm between Republicans and Democrats.
Vocabulary lists containing chasm
The Lightning Thief
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Geological Features
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The City of Ember
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“They both have the same goal—take care of the bears—but there’s a great chasm in how to do it,” said South Lake Police Chief Jeff Roberson.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Yet some users saying goodbye this week lamented the chasm that would be left after their companions vanish.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
The wide chasm between what Americans think about their job prospects and the relatively low unemployment rate yields an inescapable conclusion.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
A chasm had opened between the network of increasingly corporate-minded nonprofit theaters and the artists this system was built to serve.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
Descent into the depths until at last there was no further chasm below.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
But still, 250 years after the Revolution, the British monarchy somehow avoids these partisan chasms endemic throughout the rest of American society.
From Slate ● Apr. 28, 2026
Microscopic chasms forming a sea of conical jagged peaks stipple the surface of a material called black silicon.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 16, 2024
Soil particles fall into these gaps too, enlarging the chasms and facilitating the collection of more water.
From National Geographic ● Oct. 10, 2023
Scientists have found them deep in ocean chasms, and in volcanic vents, glaciers, caves and mines.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 8, 2023
There were fissures and chasms in the walls and floor, and every now and then a crack would open right before their feet.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
