rift

[rift]

noun

1. an opening made by splitting, cleaving, etc.; fissure; cleft; chink.

2. an open space, as in a forest or cloud mass, or a clear interval.

3. a break in friendly relations.

   a rift between two people; a rift between two nations.

   Synonyms: falling-out, estrangement, rupture, breach

4. a difference in opinion, belief, or interest that causes such a break in friendly relations.

5. Geology.

   1. a fault.

   2. a graben of regional extent.

6. the plane or direction along which a log or mass of granite can most easily be split.

7. wood or a piece of wood that has been split radially from a log.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to burst open; split.

rift

¹

/ rɪft /

noun

1. a gap or space made by cleaving or splitting; fissure

2. geology a long narrow zone of faulting resulting from tensional stress in the earth's crust

3. a gap between two cloud masses; break or chink

   he saw the sun through a rift in the clouds

4. a break in friendly relations between people, nations, etc

verb

1. to burst or cause to burst open; split

rift

²

/ rɪft /

noun

1. a shallow or rocky part in a stream

2. the backwash from a wave that has just broken

rift

1. A continental rift.

2. A narrow break, crack, or other opening in a rock, usually made by cracking or splitting.

Other Word Forms

• riftless adjective
• unrifted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rift¹

1250–1300; Middle English < Old Norse ript breaking of an agreement (compare Danish, Norwegian rift cleavage), derivative of rīfa to tear (cognate with rive )

Word History and Origins

Origin of rift¹

C13: from Old Norse; related to Danish rift cleft, Icelandic ript breach of contract

Origin of rift²

C14: from Old Norse rypta ; related to Icelandic ropa to belch

Example Sentences

In a troubled time before their rift, my husband, by his own account, had been financially irresponsible, reckless, a prodigal son.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

As with other protests against the war, the boycott letter included Jewish signatories, exposing rifts among Jews in Israel and abroad.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Initially, the sea was a narrow rift valley filled with lakes, then became a wider gulf when it was flooded from the Mediterranean 23 million years ago.

Read more on Science Daily

Major rifts over key health care issues are at the heart of the federal government shutdown that began at the stroke of midnight on Oct.

Read more on Salon

Last month Labour set out a new plan, agreed with the Irish government, that seeks to heal the rift created by the Conservatives' legislation.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• breach 
• clash 
• disagreement 
• division 
• estrangement 
• misunderstanding 
• quarrel 
• rupture 
• schism 
• split