Meaning & use
division
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountablemathematics
The arithmetic process of working out how many times one number fits into another.
Grammar: Uncountable as a subject: we learned division. You do a division problem or a long division.
Patterns
- division by something
- do division
The class practiced long division on the board.
Division by zero has no meaning in ordinary math.
He found division harder to learn than multiplication.
nouncountable or uncountable
The act of splitting something into parts or sharing it out among people.
Grammar: Often followed by of or between: the division of the estate between the sons.
Patterns
- the division of something
- a division between things
The division of chores keeps the house running smoothly.
Cell division allows the body to grow.
The division of the land caused a family dispute.
nouncountablebusiness
A large section of an organization, such as a company, army, or sports league.
Grammar: Countable and often capitalized in names: the sales division, the second division.
Patterns
- the division of a company
- a division of something
She heads the marketing division of the firm.
The club was promoted to the first division.
An armored division moved up to the border.
nouncountable
A disagreement or separation between people, groups, or opinions.
Grammar: Usually followed by between or within: deep divisions within the party.
Patterns
- a division between groups
- divisions within something
The vote exposed deep divisions within the council.
There is a clear division between rich and poor areas.
The argument created a division in the family.
Word forms
| plural | divisions |
|---|
Common combinations
- long division
- Long division takes patience with big numbers.
- cell division
- Cell division is how organisms grow and heal.
- division of labor
- The division of labor made the factory faster.
- deep divisions
- Deep divisions weakened the movement.
- sales division
- The sales division exceeded its targets.
- top division
- They finally reached the top division of the league.
Synonyms and how they differ
- split
- Split is more casual and often means a sudden break, while division can be calm and systematic.
- department
- Department is a unit within an organization, while division may be a larger group that contains departments.
- partition
- Partition suggests splitting by a physical or political boundary, narrower than division.
- rift
- Rift names an emotional or political break between people, a stronger version of the fourth sense.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: division or divide? division or decision?
division vs divide
Divide is the verb and division the noun, so say the division of the cake but divide the cake.
division vs decision
Decision is a choice you make, which looks like division in writing but has no connection.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'division' to mean a part of an organization?
Choose one answer.
Only the first sentence uses division for a unit within an organization. The others mean arithmetic, sharing, and disagreement.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “division”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.