Meaning & use
partition
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Meanings
nouncountable
A thin wall or screen that separates one part of a room or space from another.
Grammar: Countable: you can talk about one partition or several partitions.
Patterns
- a partition between something
- a partition in something
- put up a partition
They put up a glass partition between the kitchen and the dining area.
The office was divided by a low partition so that people could still see each other.
We need a partition in the basement to create a separate storage room.
noununcountable
The division of a country or region into separate parts, especially for political reasons.
Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the act or process of dividing a territory.
Patterns
- the partition of something
- after the partition
- partition of a country
The partition of the country in 1947 led to massive population movements.
Many families were separated by the partition of the region.
The peace agreement called for the partition of the disputed territory.
verbtransitive
To divide a room, space, or territory into separate parts.
Grammar: Takes an object: partition a room. Often used with 'off' or 'into': partition off a corner, partition the area into sections.
Patterns
- partition something into something
- partition something off
- partition a room
They partitioned the large living room into two smaller rooms.
The landlord partitioned off part of the hallway to make a tiny office.
The country was partitioned into several new states after the war.
Word forms
| plural | partitions |
|---|---|
| third person singular | partitions |
| past tense | partitioned |
| past participle | partitioned |
| -ing form | partitioning |
Common combinations
- glass partition
- The meeting room has a glass partition so you can see inside.
- partition wall
- They built a partition wall to create a separate bedroom.
- partition off
- We partitioned off a corner of the garage for storage.
- partition into
- The teacher partitioned the classroom into four activity zones.
- the partition of India
- The partition of India in 1947 caused one of the largest migrations in history.
Synonyms and how they differ
- divider
- A divider is any object that separates things, often a simple screen or a piece of furniture; a partition is usually a more permanent wall or panel.
- screen
- A screen is often movable and used for privacy or decoration; a partition is more structural and can divide a whole room.
- barrier
- A barrier blocks movement or access; a partition separates spaces but may not block movement entirely.
Word family
- partitioned adjective
- Divided into parts by walls or screens.
- partitioning noun
- The act or process of dividing something into parts.
Commonly confused: partition or petition?
partition vs petition
A petition is a formal written request, often signed by many people; a partition is a dividing wall or the act of dividing.
Practice
The office was too open, so they decided to _____ off a quiet area for phone calls.
Choose one answer.
Partition off means to separate an area with a wall or screen, which fits the context. 'Petition' means to make a formal request, 'partisan' is a noun/adjective meaning a strong supporter, and 'portion' means a share or serving.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “partition”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.