riven

[riv-uhn]

verb

1. a past participle of rive.

adjective

1. rent or split apart.

2. split radially, as a log.

Other Word Forms

• unriven adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of riven¹

First recorded in 1275–1325, for the adjective

Example Sentences

Small towns were riven between people calling themselves Patriots and British Loyalists.

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Indeed, a key reason Powell pushed back so bluntly against expectations of such a cut at the press conference that day was to manage a committee riven by seemingly unbridgeable differences.

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The European Union, riven by infighting between member states, cannot agree on its target, while India is another major emitter yet to finalise its pledge.

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The move caps a dramatic month in oil markets, riven by concerns of a supply glut and uncertainty over sanctions on Russian producers.

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The question he posed has riven the judicial system, splitting district judges from appellate panels and the Pacific Coast from the Midwest.

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Related Words

• busted 
• collapsed www.thesaurus.com
• cracked 
• crumbled www.thesaurus.com
• crushed www.thesaurus.com
• damaged www.thesaurus.com
• defective 
• demolished www.thesaurus.com
• destroyed www.thesaurus.com
• fractured www.thesaurus.com
• fragmented 
• injured www.thesaurus.com
• mangled www.thesaurus.com
• mutilated www.thesaurus.com
• ruptured www.thesaurus.com
• severed 
• shattered 
• smashed 
• splintered www.thesaurus.com