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:
That once-wide chasm of understanding has narrowed, she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
There’s a vast chasm between doing nothing and spending money trying to rehouse this relative and manage all his affairs.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
Now, it is a symbol of the chasm that migration has opened between the two continents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
He added: "It's absolutely incredible, I can't believe I stood on the other side of this chasm for so long."
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Three dead Romans rose into the air and flew across the chasm.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
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
“Afghanistan hasn’t been this safe in 20 years,” others declare, posing next to the vast chasms left behind by the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas more than 20 years ago.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2024
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
“I was but a child when introduced to him. I should like to ascertain if even in the flaming chasms of Tartarus, he wears high-heels.”
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
