Partition: meaning, definitions and examples

Use 'partition' when talking about physically dividing a space or separating parts of a computer's storage. It often implies something that can be put up or taken down.

• They installed a partition to create two separate rooms.
• He created a new partition on his hard drive to store his files.

Use 'division' for more abstract separations, such as splitting a group of people, dividing responsibilities, or mathematical operations.

• There is a clear division of labor among the team members.
• The division of the inherited property caused arguments within the family.

Use 'section' when referring to a distinct part of something larger, whether it's a document, a book, a city, or any other entity that can be logically separated into parts.

• This section of the book covers medieval history.
• Please turn to the sports section of the newspaper.

Use 'segment' to describe a part of something that is typically rounded or cyclical, like parts of an orange or fractions of a market. It implies a smaller part of a whole.

• She ate a segment of the orange.
• The company has a large segment of the software market.

Use this when discussing the action of dividing something, often a physical space, into parts. This can apply to rooms, sections of land, or data storage.

• They decided to partition the office into smaller cubicles.
• The hard drive was partitioned to run multiple operating systems.

Best used in a general sense when splitting something into parts or groups. It can apply to physical objects, numbers, groups of people, and more.

• He divided the cake into eight equal pieces.
• The teacher divided the class into four groups.

This word is used when detaching or setting apart one thing from another. It can apply to both physical objects and abstract concepts like ideas or groups of people.

• She separated the whites from the colored clothes before washing.
• They decided to separate work and personal life.

This word is ideal for situations where resources, time, or tasks are being distributed or assigned for a specific purpose. Often used in business, project management, and financial contexts.

• The manager will allocate the budget for each department.
• We need to allocate enough time for testing.