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

Indeed, this comes amid a noticeable rift in the movement, after 92 apostolic leaders issued a statement in April 2021 aimed at establishing “prophetic standards.”

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

On the left, said Leridon, the rift between those who champion a broad united front and those who advocate for a left without France Unbowed was only going to widen.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized to the Gulf states, though Qatari spokesmen say the attacks haven’t stopped, suggesting a rift within Iran’s possibly faltering leadership.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026

Inside the rift between Prince Harry and Prince William that could linger for decades to come.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

Then on it went through a jagged rift in the Morgai out into the valley of Gorgoroth and away to Barad-dûr.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien

Related Words

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