partition

[ pahr-tish-uhn, per- ]

/ pɑrˈtɪʃ ən, pər- /

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See synonyms for: partition / partitioned on Thesaurus.com

noun

a division into or distribution in portions or shares.

a separation, as of two or more things.

something that separates or divides.

a part, division, or section.

an interior wall or barrier dividing a room, area of a building, enclosure, etc., into separate areas.

a septum or dissepiment, as in a plant or animal structure.

Law. a division of property among joint owners or tenants in common or a sale of such property followed by a division of the proceeds.

Logic. the separation of a whole into its integrant parts.

Mathematics.

a mode of separating a positive whole number into a sum of positive whole numbers.
the decomposition of a set into disjoint subsets whose union is the original set: A partition of the set (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) is the collection of subsets (1), (2, 3), (4), and (5).

Rhetoric. (in a speech organized on classical principles) the second, usually brief section or part in which a speaker announces the chief lines of thought to be discussed in support of their theme.

verb (used with object)

to divide into parts or portions.

to divide or separate by interior walls, barriers, or the like (sometimes followed by off): to partition off a dormitory into cubicles.

to divide (a country or territory) into separate, usually differing political entities.Compare Balkanize.

Law. to divide property among several owners, either in specie or by sale and division of the proceeds.

OTHER WORDS FOR partition

11 portion, apportion.

See synonyms for partition on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR partition

2 unity.

11 unite.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of partition

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English from Latin partītiōn- (stem of partītiō ) “division,” equivalent to partīt(us) past participle of partīrī “to divide” (see party) + -iōn- -ion

synonym study for partition

1. See division.

OTHER WORDS FROM partition

par·ti·tion·a·ble, adjectivepar·ti·tion·ar·y, adjectivepar·ti·tion·er, par·ti·tion·ist, nounpar·ti·tion·ment, noun

pre·par·ti·tion, noun, verb (used with object)sub·par·ti·tion, nounsub·par·ti·tioned, adjectivesub·par·ti·tion·ment, nounun·par·ti·tioned, adjective

Words nearby partition

partisan, partisanism, partisanship, partita, partite, partition, partition coefficient, partition line, partitive, partlet, partly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use partition in a sentence

For face-to-face teaching, engineering measures such as ventilation, partition shields and filtration units can directly remove particles from the air.
When COVID-19 Superspreaders Are Talking, Where You Sit In The Room Matters|LGBTQ-Editor|October 11, 2020|No Straight News
Yes, there was a sign on the door indicating masking was required, and plexiglass partitions had been placed at checkout counters.
To retain customers, businesses need to make them feel as safe as possible. Here’s how|jakemeth|October 2, 2020|Fortune
Checkout clerks scanned your items from behind a plexiglass partition and placed them back in your cart.
To retain customers, businesses need to make them feel as safe as possible. Here’s how|jakemeth|October 2, 2020|Fortune
Called sneeze guards or partitions, such barriers help limit someone’s exhaled virus from spreading to another.
Here’s how COVID-19 is changing classes this year|Bethany Brookshire|September 8, 2020|Science News For Students

All of this change is costing brands a lot as more staff are needed for increased sanitization, partitions and other safety barriers are installed, hand sanitizer is provided, and more.
SEO in the second half of 2020: Five search opportunities to act on now|Jim Yu|August 17, 2020|Search Engine Watch
In short, Pakistan is an aggrieved state that got the short end of the stick when Partition happened.
CIA Agents Assess: How Real Is ‘Homeland’?|Chuck Cogan, John MacGaffin|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He joins Donohue in flanking the man as he disappears behind a partition and from camera view.
Synagogue Slay: When Cops Have to Kill|Michael Daly|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Inside, piled desks covered in sheets in the hallways partition makeshift rooms for the families.
Israel Is Minting the Next Generation of Hate|Jesse Rosenfeld|July 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But of course no one in Moscow has anything to do with the “little green men” trying to partition Ukraine.
Putin Is Just Getting Started in Ukraine|Michael Weiss|June 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He has called the 1947 partition the “biggest blunder in history” and advocates peace with India.
Altaf Hussain Finally Arrested in London; Can His MQM Be Neutralized?|Bruce Riedel|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Down there in the office, while I stood behind a partition and nobody saw me—I would hide anywhere to keep out of a quarrel!
Dorothy at Skyrie|Evelyn Raymond
It was such a partition as is effected by hacking a living man limb from limb.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
The partition planned at Loo was the partition of an ill governed empire which was not a nation.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
The partition planned at Loo was therefore the very opposite of the partition of Poland.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
One wound the partition would undoubtedly have inflicted, a wound on the Castilian pride.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay

British Dictionary definitions for partition

partition

/ (pɑːˈtɪʃən) /

noun

a division into parts; separation

something that separates, such as a large screen dividing a room in two

a part or share

a division of a country into two or more separate nations

property law a division of property, esp realty, among joint owners

maths any of the ways by which an integer can be expressed as a sum of integers

logic maths

the division of a class into a number of disjoint and exhaustive subclasses
such a set of subclasses

biology a structure that divides or separates

rhetoric the second part of a speech where the chief lines of thought are announced

verb (tr)

(often foll by off) to separate or apportion into sectionsto partition a room off with a large screen

to divide (a country) into two or more separate nations

property law to divide (property, esp realty) among joint owners, by dividing either the property itself or the proceeds of sale

Derived forms of partition

partitioner or partitionist, noun

Word Origin for partition

C15: via Old French from Latin partītiō, from partīre to divide

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for partition

partition

A division of a nation or territory into two or more nations. Cyprus, Germany, India, Ireland, Korea, Palestine, and Vietnam are notable examples of countries that have undergone partition.

partition

OTHER WORDS FOR partition

OPPOSITES FOR partition

Origin of partition

synonym study for partition

OTHER WORDS FROM partition

Words nearby partition

Words related to partition

How to use partition in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for partition

Derived forms of partition

Word Origin for partition

Cultural definitions for partition