divide
Americanverb (used with object)
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to separate into parts, groups, sections, etc.
- Antonyms:
- unite
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to separate or part from something else; sunder; cut off.
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to deal out in parts; distribute in shares; apportion.
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to cleave; part.
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to separate in opinion or feeling; cause to disagree.
The issue divided the senators.
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to distinguish the kinds of; classify.
- Synonyms:
- distribute, arrange, sort
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Mathematics.
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to separate into equal parts by the process of mathematical division; apply the mathematical process of division to.
Eight divided by four is two.
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to be a divisor of, without a remainder.
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to mark a uniform scale on (a ruler, thermometer, etc.).
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British Government. to separate (a legislature, assembly, etc.) into two groups in ascertaining the vote on a question.
verb (used without object)
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to become divided or separated.
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to share something with others.
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to diverge; branch; fork.
The road divides six miles from here.
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to perform the mathematical process of division.
He could add and subtract but hadn't learned to divide.
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British Government. to vote by separating into two groups.
noun
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a division.
a divide in the road.
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Physical Geography. the line or zone of higher ground between two adjacent streams or drainage basins.
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Archaic. the act of dividing.
verb
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to separate or be separated into parts or groups; split up; part
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to share or be shared out in parts; distribute
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to diverge or cause to diverge in opinion or aim
the issue divided the management
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(tr) to keep apart or be a boundary between
the Rio Grande divides Mexico from the United States
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(intr) (in Parliament and similar legislatures) to vote by separating into two groups
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to categorize; classify
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to calculate the quotient of (one number or quantity) and (another number or quantity) by division
to divide 50 by 10
to divide 10 into 50
to divide by 10
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(intr) to diverge
the roads divide
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(tr) to mark increments of (length, angle, etc) as by use of an engraving machine
noun
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an area of relatively high ground separating drainage basins; watershed See also continental divide
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a division; split
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To subject (a number) to the process of division.
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To be a divisor of.
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To use (a number) as a divisor.
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To perform the operation of division.
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To undergo cell division.
Related Words
See separate.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of divide
First recorded 1325–75; Middle English (from Anglo-French divider ), from Latin dīvidere “to separate, divide”
Explanation
When you divide something, you separate it into different parts. A pizza maker may divide a ball of dough into two parts to make two pies, or you might even divide a stick of gum in half to share it with a friend. The verb divide can refer to the splitting apart of anything, whether it’s pizza dough, gum, time, a country, or a political group. Math types probably already know that the word also can refer to a mathematical function involving figuring out how many times a certain number contains another number. As a noun, divide means a hostile split between two groups, such as a growing divide between conservative and liberal groups.
Vocabulary lists containing divide
Physical Geography - Middle School
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Physical Geography - High School
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
There have been plenty of stars to cross the divide between combat sports, only to find boxing is a specialist's game.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
Office veterans may wonder why I am giving such obvious advice, but there is a generational divide on the question of whether an email containing directions demands a response.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
If we’re lucky, this week’s summit in Beijing won’t produce any shocking headlines on Iran, Taiwan, or any of the other prickly issues that divide the U.S. and China.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
However, many tumors also contain senescent cells, which no longer divide but remain highly active in harmful ways.
From Science Daily • May 13, 2026
The divide between this car and the next seems immense, a great span over eternity.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
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.
