divided
Americanadjective
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separated; separate.
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shared; apportioned.
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(of a leaf ) cut into distinct portions by incisions extending to the midrib or base.
adjective
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botany another word for dissected
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split; not united
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of divided
Explanation
Something that's divided is sectioned or split into parts. A divided political party might be separated into several groups with very different opinions on what the party's priorities ought to be. Things can be physically divided, the way a pizza is when it's cut into eight separate pieces, or the way a highway is when it has a concrete barrier between lanes that go in different directions. There's also a figurative way of being divided, like a divided family that's feuding about something, or divided experts who disagree on the findings of a study. The adjective divided comes from the Latin dividere, "to force apart, cleave, or distribute."
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.
Insurers are divided over how best to respond to the spiraling risks—and opportunities—from AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
My other assets, totaling $6 million, are divided equally.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
"We can't achieve any of this if we are divided," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Scientists have reconstructed a remarkably detailed family tree of cells in a developing mouse embryo, tracing their origins back to the moment a fertilized egg first divided into two cells.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
Emilika lifted a curtain that divided the front of the store from the back.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
