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

It’s fitting that the Jeffrey Epstein saga has been the occasion of the first significant rift.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A trade rift between Washington and Beijing has weighed on Nvidia, a key global player in the provision of chips powering the AI boom, though there have recently been signs of easing tensions.

Read more on Barron's

"Far better to say nothing than to open a family rift."

Read more on BBC

And there are signs of potential rifts, too.

Read more on BBC

With Canada home to one of the world's largest oil reserves, Carney is now facing questions from Albertans over whether he can achieve his goals without first solving the internal rifts.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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