Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

schism

American  
[siz-uhm, skiz-] / ˈsɪz əm, ˈskɪz- /

noun

  1. division or disunion, especially into mutually opposed parties.

  2. the parties so formed.

  3. Ecclesiastical.

    1. a formal division within, or separation from, a church or religious body over some doctrinal difference.

    2. the state of a sect or body formed by such division.

    3. the offense of causing or seeking to cause such a division.

schism British  
/ ˈsɪz-, ˈskɪzəm /

noun

  1. the division of a group into opposing factions

  2. the factions so formed

  3. division within or separation from an established Church, esp the Roman Catholic Church, not necessarily involving differences in doctrine

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
schism Cultural  

  1. A break within a church, such as the division between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

Other Word Forms

  • schismless adjective

Etymology

Origin of schism

1350–1400; < Late Latin (Vulgate) sc ( h ) isma (stem sc ( h ) ismat- ) < Greek, derivative of schízein to split, with -ma (stem -mat- ) noun suffix of result; replacing Middle English ( s ) cisme, sisme < Middle French < Late Latin, as above

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

How to handle inside information is already generating a schism in the prediction-market world.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

It would no longer be a simple trans-Atlantic disagreement, but a new schism within the West.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

It was the first meeting between the heads of the two Churches since the great schism of 1054.

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025

Does it reflect a schism within the military over its propriety?

From Slate • Oct. 21, 2025

The schism over slavery finally cracked the country wide open.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.