Word
schism
US/ˈskɪzəm/
UK/skˈɪzəm/
Definitions
01a split in a group
n. a serious disagreement that causes a group or organization to divide into two smaller groups.
n. a formal separation or division within a body or organization, typically resulting from irreconcilable discord or differences in opinion.
“The disagreement over the new budget caused a deep schism within the political party.”
“The ideological schism between the traditionalists and the reformers threatened to dismantle the coalition before the upcoming election cycle.”
Formal
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'between' or 'within'.
Synonyms
02religious division
n. a formal split within a church or religious group, often because of different beliefs.
n. a formal breach of union within a religious body, specifically one that does not necessarily involve a change in fundamental doctrine.
“The Great Schism of 1054 divided the Christian church into East and West.”
“Historians argue that the schism was driven more by ecclesiastical politics and regional authority than by genuine theological disputes.”
Formal · Technical
Teaching tip
In a religious context, a schism is distinct from 'heresy'; a schism is a split in authority, while heresy is a split in belief.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03to cause a split
v. to divide a group into two separate parts.
v. to cause a group or organization to split or divide into factions.
“The controversial decision threatened to schism the entire community.”
“The leadership's refusal to compromise served only to schism the movement, alienating the younger members who sought radical change.”
Formal · Literary
Usage
This verb is transitive and takes a direct object, though it is much less common than the noun form.
Real-World Examples
“They elected a rival pope, triggering the Great Western Schism , during which two competing papal courts existed from 1378 to 1417.” Etymology
From Middle English scisme, from Old French cisme or scisme, from Ancient Greek σχίσμα (skhísma, “division”), from σχίζω (skhízō, “I split”). Doublet of schisma. Compare chasm. This word was historically pronounced /ˈsɪzəm/ (and still is among the clergy); the pronunciations /ˈʃɪzəm/, /ˈskɪzəm/ are due to the spelling (the latter may have been reinforced by learned influence); compare schedule.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.