Division: meaning, definitions and examples

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division

 

[ dɪˈvɪʒ(ə)n ]

Context #1 | Noun

mathematics

The action of separating something into parts or the process of being separated.

Synonyms

partition, separation, splitting.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
division

Best used in a mathematical or organizational sense, where something is divided into parts.

  • The division of the company into smaller units helped improve efficiency
  • In math class, we learned about division today
separation

Used when referring to the act of making entities distinct or apart from each other, sometimes in social or emotional contexts.

  • The separation of the couple was a difficult time for both families
  • The separation of church and state is an important principle in many democracies
splitting

Used informally and can imply force or energy; often used when something is broken or torn apart.

  • The loud noise was caused by the splitting of the wooden beam
  • She felt a splitting headache after the stressful meeting
partition

Often used when something is physically divided, usually with a barrier or a wall.

  • They installed a partition to create two separate rooms from one large space
  • The partition of the hard drive allowed for better organization of files

Examples of usage

  • The division of the cake into equal slices was done carefully.
  • She had to learn long division in her math class.
Context #2 | Noun

organization

A separate section or part of a large organization.

Synonyms

branch, department, section.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
division

Used to describe major units within a large organization or system, often for administrative purposes. It implies a high level of segregation.

  • The finance division handles all the monetary transactions of the company.
  • She got promoted to the head of the marketing division.
department

Used in organizations to refer to specific areas handling particular functions or responsibilities, usually within a larger division.

  • She works in the human resources department.
  • The IT department handles all computer-related issues.
section

Often used to describe smaller parts or subsections within a department or a document. It denotes a segment focused on a specific area.

  • He is responsible for the research section of the business.
  • Please refer to section 3 of the manual for troubleshooting tips.
branch

Commonly used to refer to the locations or local offices of a larger entity, like banks, libraries, or government offices.

  • I need to visit the local branch of my bank to open a new account.
  • The library has several branches across the city.

Examples of usage

  • The company's sales division is responsible for the European market.
  • He works in the marketing division of the corporation.
Context #3 | Noun

sports

A group of teams in a sports league that compete against each other.

Synonyms

category, group, league.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
division

Use when referring to the act of separating something into parts or to describe sections within a larger organization or structure. It often carries a formal tone.

  • The company underwent a major division of its departments.
  • The mathematical division of numbers can often be challenging.
group

Better for more general contexts where you are referring to a collection of people, animals, or things. It is casual and widely used.

  • A group of friends gathered at the park.
  • The study was conducted on a group of teenagers.
category

Ideal for classifying items or concepts based on shared characteristics. Commonly used in contexts related to organization, sorting, and classification.

  • She won first place in the 'Best Novel' category.
  • All the items are listed under different categories on the website.
league

Best used in contexts related to sports or competitions. It can also be used metaphorically to describe high levels of skill or quality.

  • Our team is the best in the local league.
  • She is in a league of her own when it comes to painting.

Examples of usage

  • The National Football League has two conferences each with four divisions.
  • Our team won the championship in the Eastern Division.

Translations

Translations of the word "division" in other languages:

🇵🇹 divisão

🇮🇳 विभाजन

🇩🇪 Teilung

🇮🇩 pembagian

🇺🇦 поділ

🇵🇱 podział

🇯🇵 分割 (bunkatsu)

🇫🇷 division

🇪🇸 división

🇹🇷 bölme

🇰🇷 분할 (bunhal)

🇸🇦 تقسيم (taqseem)

🇨🇿 rozdělení

🇸🇰 rozdelenie

🇨🇳 分割 (fēngē)

🇸🇮 delitev

🇮🇸 skipting

🇰🇿 бөлу (bölu)

🇬🇪 განაწილება (ganatsileba)

🇦🇿 bölmə

🇲🇽 división

Etymology

The word 'division' originated from the Latin word 'dividere', which means 'to separate'. The concept of division has been present in human societies since ancient times, with various methods developed over the centuries to divide and separate things. In mathematics, division is one of the four basic operations, along with addition, subtraction, and multiplication. The term 'division' is widely used in different fields such as mathematics, organization, and sports to denote separation, grouping, or competition.

See also: dividable, divide, divided, dividend, dividends, divider, dividers, dividing, divisible, divisive, divisor, divisors, misdivide, redivide, subdivide, subdivision, undivided.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #1,238, this word is part of core intermediate vocabulary. It appears regularly in various contexts and is essential for natural-sounding English.