/ English Dictionary |
SCHISM
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Division of a group into opposing factions
Example:
another schism like that and they will wind up in bankruptcy
Synonyms:
schism; split
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Hypernyms ("schism" is a kind of...):
division (the act or process of dividing)
Derivation:
schismatic; schismatical (of or relating to or involved in or characteristic of schism)
Sense 2
Meaning:
The formal separation of a church into two churches or the withdrawal of one group over doctrinal differences
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("schism" is a kind of...):
breach; break; falling out; rift; rupture; severance (a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions))
Instance hyponyms:
Great Schism (the period from 1378 to 1417 during which there were two papacies in the Roman Catholic Church, one in Rome and one in Avignon)
Derivation:
schismatic (of or relating to or involved in or characteristic of schism)