divide
B1Formal & Informal
Definition
Meaning
to separate or be separated into parts.
To cause disagreement or difference of opinion; a significant difference between groups; a ridge between drainage basins; to perform mathematical division.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The verb 'divide' often implies a physical or conceptual separation into distinct, often opposing, parts. The noun form frequently refers to a point of difference or a geographical feature.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Spelling of derived forms (e.g., 'dividing' vs. 'dividing') is identical. The noun 'divide' (meaning watershed) is more common in North American English.
Connotations
In political/social contexts, 'divide' connotes a deep, often problematic separation (e.g., digital divide, wealth divide) equally in both dialects.
Frequency
Equally common in both dialects. The mathematical use 'divide by' is universal.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
SVO (divide something)SVOA (divide something into parts)SVA (The road divides here)SVOO (divide them the profits)SV (Cells divide.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Divide and rule/conquer”
- “Cross the great divide”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The board couldn't agree, and the issue threatened to divide the company."
Academic
"The researcher sought to divide the sample population into control and experimental groups."
Everyday
"Can you divide the cake into eight equal slices, please?"
Technical
"The algorithm uses a recursive function to divide the dataset into progressively smaller clusters."
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- There's a clear divide between his public and private personas.
- They walked up to the divide between the two valleys.
American English
- The political divide seems wider than ever.
- We crossed the Continental Divide on our road trip.
verb
British English
- The Channel divides England from France.
- The committee was divided over the proposal.
American English
- The Rocky Mountains divide the continent.
- The issue divides voters along party lines.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Divide the paper into four squares.
- The river divides the city.
- The teacher asked us to divide into groups of three.
- Cultural divides can be difficult to overcome.
- The inheritance was divided equally among the siblings.
- The new policy threatens to further divide an already polarised society.
- Philosophers have long sought to divide the concept of justice into its constituent parts.
- The Great Divide in public opinion became apparent during the referendum campaign.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a wide river (the 'vide' part) that divides two pieces of land.
Conceptual Metaphor
DIFFERENCES ARE GAPS / SEPARATIONS (e.g., 'bridging the divide', 'a widening divide').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'divide' for 'share' in a purely positive sense (e.g., 'Let's divide this pizza' is correct, but 'He divided his feelings with me' is not). In Russian, 'делить' can imply a more general 'to share', whereas English 'divide' emphasises the act of separation. Confusion with 'divorce' (развод) - they are false friends.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'Divide in two parts'. Correct: 'Divide into two parts'.
- Incorrect: 'I divided the sweets between my brother'. Correct: 'I divided the sweets with my brother' or 'between my brother and me'.
- Confusing 'divide' (verb) with 'division' (noun) in sentence structure.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the LEAST appropriate synonym for 'divide' in the sentence: 'The scandal served to ___ the political party.'
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Divide' often implies splitting a whole into parts, while 'separate' more commonly means to move existing parts apart or to keep them distinct. You divide a cake, but you separate two fighting children.
Yes. As a noun, it typically refers to a significant difference or a ridge separating river systems (e.g., 'a generational divide', 'the Continental Divide').
Use 'between' for two entities and 'among' for three or more. 'Divide the money between Tom and Jerry.' / 'Divide the tasks among the team members.'
It means to perform the operation of division. 'Twelve divided by three equals four.' The symbol is '÷' or '/'. The pattern is 'divide X by Y'.