split
B1Informal to neutral; widely used in both casual and professional contexts.
Definition
Meaning
To break or divide something, especially along a line or into parts, often by force.
To divide a group, share costs or responsibilities, disagree and separate, end a relationship, or divide oneself between tasks. Also used in financial contexts for stock splits.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word often implies a clean or forceful division. It can refer to physical objects, groups, time, or abstract concepts like opinions. As an adjective, it describes something divided or torn.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use 'split' similarly. Minor differences: UK 'split up' for ending a relationship is extremely common; US also uses 'break up'. In finance, 'stock split' is standard in both.
Connotations
Largely identical. 'To split' can sound slightly more informal/colloquial than 'to divide' in formal writing in both varieties.
Frequency
Very high frequency in both, with no significant disparity.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] split [NP] (e.g., He split the log.)[NP] split [PREP PHRASE] (e.g., The road splits into two.)[NP] split [ADJ] (e.g., The vote split evenly.)[NP] split [ADV-PARTICLE] (e.g., They split up.)[NP] split [NP] [PREP PHRASE] (e.g., She split the cake between the children.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “split hairs (argue about tiny details)”
- “split one's sides (laugh very hard)”
- “split the difference (compromise on a middle price)”
- “run like split (run very fast, dated US)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The board voted to split the company into two separate entities." / "Let's split the marketing budget between the two campaigns."
Academic
"The data shows the electorate split along demographic lines." / "The scholar's work bridges traditionally split disciplines."
Everyday
"Shall we split a pizza?" / "My jeans split when I bent down!"
Technical
"The laser is used to split the molecular bonds." / "The database table was horizontally split to improve performance."
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The group decided to split the winnings equally.
- They split up after university.
- My head is splitting (aching badly).
American English
- Let's split the check.
- The band split over creative differences.
- He split town before the police arrived. (informal)
adverb
American English
- The river runs split around the island. (rare/archaic)
adjective
British English
- She had a split lip from the fall.
- The party was deeply split on the issue of Europe.
American English
- He performed a split leap in gymnastics.
- The court issued a split decision.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The apple split in two when I dropped it.
- Can you split this cake with me?
- They agreed to split the bill after dinner.
- The path splits further ahead; take the left one.
- The merger proposal caused the board to split into opposing factions.
- Investors welcomed the announcement of a five-for-one stock split.
- The new evidence has split legal scholars, with no consensus in sight.
- She manages to split her time adeptly between a demanding career and family commitments.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a banana being SPLIT open - you can see the fruit split into separate parts.
Conceptual Metaphor
RELATIONSHIPS ARE UNITIES (breaking a relationship is splitting that unity); DISAGREEMENT IS DIVISION (the committee split on the issue); TIME/ATTENTION IS A WHOLE (splitting your time between tasks).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not use 'split' for 'to leave a place' (use 'leave' or 'go'). Russian 'сплитить' is a direct borrowing but very informal/colloquial.
- Avoid translating 'разделить' as 'split' in abstract contexts like 'divide an opinion' – 'share an opinion' is better.
- 'Split second' is a fixed phrase meaning 'very short moment', not a literal division of time.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: *'We splitted the costs.' Correct: 'We split the costs.' (irregular verb: split-split-split).
- Incorrect: *'I split on my friend.' to mean 'I betrayed my friend.' Correct: 'I split on my friend.' is UK slang for 'informed on', not general betrayal.
Practice
Quiz
In which context does 'split' NOT typically mean 'to end a relationship'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is irregular: the past simple and past participle are both 'split' (split-split-split).
They are largely synonymous for ending a romantic relationship. 'Split up' can feel slightly less emotionally charged and is also used for groups disbanding. 'Break up' is more common in American English for relationships.
Yes, commonly. Examples include 'a split in the party', 'doing the splits' (gymnastics), 'a 60/40 split of profits', and 'a banana split' (dessert).
It's a grammatical term for placing an adverb between 'to' and the base verb (e.g., 'to boldly go'). Once frowned upon, it's now generally accepted in modern English usage.