subdivision

American  

[suhb-di-vizh-uhn] / ˈsʌb dɪˌvɪʒ ən /

noun

1. the act or fact of subdividing.

2. a product of subdividing, as a section of a department.

3. a portion of land divided into lots for real-estate development.

4. Botany, Mycology. a category of related classes within a division or phylum.

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subdivision British  

/ ˈsʌbdɪˌvɪʒən /

noun

1. the process, instance, or state of being divided again following upon an earlier division

2. a portion that is the result of subdividing

3. a tract of land for building resulting from subdividing land

4. a housing development built on such a tract

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Other Word Forms

• subdivisional adjective

Etymology

Origin of subdivision

1545–55; < Late Latin subdīvīsiōn- (stem of subdīvīsiō ), equivalent to subdīvīs ( us ) (past participle of subdīvīdere to subdivide ) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

When something large or complex is split into smaller parts, you can call each part a subdivision. The act of separating something into parts is also called subdivision. In North America, when someone mentions a subdivision, they probably mean a suburban neighborhood. When planned communities are designed, developers subdivide the plots of land to make it easier to sell them. If a botanist talks about subdivisions, she means something completely different: a ranked group of plants. No matter how the word is used, a subdivision is basically a smaller section of a section, or a part of something that's divided.

Example Sentences

Some eight workers were arrested in a chaotic scene of laborers running away from federal vehicles racing through the three-street subdivision at high speed, the builders said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

With the split finalized, Curry will retain rights to the “Curry Brand,” a subdivision within Under Armour, and he intends to take it forward independently, which could include teaming with another retail partner.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 14, 2025

Before the Tubbs fire, Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park subdivision was middle-class, with its tract homes routinely going for around $500,000.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025

A local Realtor, Chitwood and a contractor friend had built 120 new houses together, including, only four years before the fire, his home and others in the upscale Land Park subdivision.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025

None of the historical residents of Epiphany liked the idea of having the Sillington place parceled off for a subdivision.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg

Related Words

• tract