schism
[ siz-uh m, skiz- ]
/ ˈsɪz əm, ˈskɪz- /
noun
division or disunion, especially into mutually opposed parties.
the parties so formed.
Ecclesiastical.
- a formal division within, or separation from, a church or religious body over some doctrinal difference.
- the state of a sect or body formed by such division.
- the offense of causing or seeking to cause such a division.
QUIZZES
Can You Ace This Quiz About “Compliment” vs. “Complement”?
Take this quiz to see if you really know the difference between “compliment” and “complement"!
Question 1 of 11
“Compliment” and “complement” had a shared meaning a long time ago, but today they are no longer interchangeable.
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
OTHER WORDS FROM schism
schism·less, adjectiveWords nearby schism
schipa, schipperke, schippers, schirmer, schirra, schism, schismatic, schismatist, schismatize, schist, schisto-
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for schism
British Dictionary definitions for schism
schism
/ (ˈskɪzəm, ˈsɪz-) /
noun
the division of a group into opposing factions
the factions so formed
division within or separation from an established Church, esp the Roman Catholic Church, not necessarily involving differences in doctrine
Word Origin for schism
C14: from Church Latin schisma, from Greek skhisma a cleft, from skhizein to split
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
Cultural definitions for schism
schism
[ (siz-uhm, skiz-uhm) ]
A break within a church, such as the division between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.