Meaning & use
divisions
Last updated
“divisions” is a form of “division”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounpluralbusiness
The separate sections or departments that together make up a larger organization, such as a company or army.
Grammar: Plural of division: the company has three divisions.
Patterns
- divisions of something
- a division of something
The company has three divisions covering Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Each of the army's divisions has thousands of soldiers.
The two divisions of the bank merged last year.
nounplural
Disagreements or splits between people or groups that keep them apart.
Grammar: Often used with between or within: divisions between the two parties.
Patterns
- divisions between someone and someone
- divisions within something
Deep divisions within the party delayed the decision.
The new policy opened divisions between neighbors.
Leaders worked to heal the divisions in the community.
nounpluralmathematics
The mathematical operations of splitting a number into equal groups, or the problems that use it.
Grammar: Plural of the math sense: practice long divisions.
Patterns
- do divisions
The students practiced long divisions on the board.
Simple divisions like twelve by three are easy.
She checked her divisions with a calculator.
nounpluralsport
The groups into which sports teams or competitors are placed according to skill or location.
Grammar: Often used in league contexts: the league has four divisions.
Patterns
- divisions in something
The league has four divisions based on region.
Teams from lower divisions can be promoted each season.
The tournament is organized into age divisions.
Word forms
| singular | division |
|---|
Common combinations
- deep divisions
- Deep divisions split the committee.
- divisions between
- The report showed divisions between old and new members.
- heal divisions
- The speech aimed to heal divisions in the town.
- company divisions
- Company divisions report to the CEO.
- long divisions
- Long divisions took the class most of the lesson.
Synonyms and how they differ
- departments
- Departments are the working units of an organization, while divisions are usually bigger groups made of several departments.
- splits
- Splits is more informal and stresses a break within a group.
- rifts
- Rifts suggests a serious break in a relationship, stronger than the neutral divisions.
- sections
- Sections is a general word for parts, without the formal organization suggested by divisions.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: divisions or divisions vs. decisions?
divisions vs divisions vs. decisions
Divisions are splits or parts, while decisions are choices that people make.
Practice
The company is organized into four ___, each with its own manager.
Choose one answer.
Divisions are the large sections of an organization. Decisions are choices, revisions are changes to a text, and visions are ideas of the future.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “divisions”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.