Origin: Latin suffix -sion
Division has 13 different meanings across 1 category:
the act or process of dividing
"The chef paused to explain that his division of the large batch of dough was uneven, leaving some portions much larger than others."
an administrative unit in government or business
"The new marketing division will be responsible for launching our product line next quarter."
(biology) a group of organisms forming a subdivision of a larger category
"Biologists classify all mammals into six distinct divisions based on their unique physical characteristics and evolutionary history."
(botany) taxonomic unit of plants corresponding to a phylum
"The botanical classification system places flowering plants into two major divisions based on their seed structure."
a unit of the United States Air Force usually comprising two or more wings
"The new division was activated last week to oversee air operations across three states."
a group of ships of similar type
"The captain ordered all vessels in that division to form up for inspection before entering the harbor."
an arithmetic operation that is the inverse of multiplication; the quotient of two numbers is computed
"When solving for x in the equation 4 times x equals 20, I simply divide both sides by 4 to isolate the variable."
the act of dividing or partitioning; separation by the creation of a boundary that divides or keeps apart
"The new fence created a sharp division between our garden and the neighbor's yard, making it clear who owned which side."
The act or process of dividing anything.
"The math teacher explained that finding the answer requires careful attention to the division of large numbers by hand."
In plain English: Division is the math operation of splitting something into equal parts.
"The school announced the division of students into smaller groups for the science project."
Usage: Use "division" to describe the specific act of splitting something into parts or the result of that split, such as in math or organizational structure. Do not use it to mean anger or hostility, which are incorrect usages often confused with related terms like "dissonance."
The word "division" comes from the Latin dīvīsiō, meaning "a dividing." It entered English through Middle English and Old French, ultimately deriving from the Latin verb dīvidō ("to divide").