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YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

schism

Noun

IPA /ˈskɪzəm/

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Meaning in plain English

A serious division within a group caused by disagreement about beliefs or principles.

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Pronunciation

schism/ˈskɪzəm/

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  1. A group shares an organisation

  2. Deep disagreement divides it

A schism is a serious division over beliefs or principles.

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  1. The dispute caused a schism in the local arts association.
  2. The students examined the schism between two schools of political thought.

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The dispute caused a ________ in the local arts association.
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schism — A serious division within a group caused by disagreement about beliefs or principles.

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A serious division within a group caused by disagreement about beliefs or principles.

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Word origin

Ultimately from Greek skhisma, meaning a split, related to skhizein, to divide.

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A schism within a group and a schism between groups identify the division.

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schism

/ˈskɪzəm/ (Noun)

“Formal: often used in religious history, but it can describe deep divisions in other organisations too.”

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