rift

American  

[rift] / rɪft /

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.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to burst open; split.

rift ¹ British  

/ 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

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verb

1. to burst or cause to burst open; split

rift ² British  

/ rɪft /

noun

1. a shallow or rocky part in a stream

2. the backwash from a wave that has just broken

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rift Scientific  

/ rĭft /

1. A continental rift.

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

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Other Word Forms

• riftless
  adjective
• unrifted
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of rift

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

Explanation

Rift sounds like rip, and it's helpful to think of it that way. When there is a rift in a political party over a particular policy, it is like a rip or tear in the fabric of the group. Rift has a slightly different sense than break. A group can have a rift without having fully broken apart. A rift can heal, though a break is permanent. A rift can arise between sisters over whose turn it is to do dishes; it can quickly heal when parents promise an ice cream trip when the dishes are done. The Earth's crust has rifts, where it's splitting apart, like in East Africa.

Example Sentences

Jacob’s deception causes a lifelong rift between the two brothers, but, as with all these ancient stories, fate is preordained by God.

From Salon • May 19, 2026

The rift between Scott and Cumming ignited earlier this year during her probe of a pilot youth-diversion program, which she had criticized for issues including poor data collection.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

Rubio, a devout Catholic, sought to play down the rift ahead of the private audience, which will be followed by talks with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

But Brian Burch, the US ambassador to the Holy See, told reporters this week that despite the recent tensions there was no "deep rift" between the US and the Vatican.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

“We know it leads to something important in Rome, something that might heal the rift between the Romans and Greeks.”

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

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