Divide Meaning
/dɪˈvaɪd/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo split or separate (something) into two or more parts.
verbTo share (something) by dividing it.
Sentence Examples
The only way on Earth to multiply happiness is to divide it.
Divide the cake among you three.
The cells began to divide rapidly.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The great canyon forms a natural ____ between the two regions.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The only way on Earth to multiply happiness is to ____ it.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁-der. Proto-Italic *wiðō Latin *vidō Latin dīvidōder. Middle English dividen English divide PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English dividen, from Latin dīvidere (“to divide”). Displaced native Old English tōdǣlan.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Divide the living child in two."
— 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Kings 3:25:
"true justice unto people to divide"
— 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 1:
"For nearly two years, the pandemic has been dividing families over issues like social distancing, mask-wearing, and vaccines. Now that the holiday season is here and families are gathering, many issues that have been simmering are reaching a boiling point."
— 2021 December 15, “Has the Pandemic Torn Your Family Apart?”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 12 Dec 2022:
"It is a debate that divides Americans as evenly as any of the great political issues of the day. Should they leave their butter on the counter, or must they keep it in the fridge?"
— 2023 April 29, Will Pavia, “Why butter must come out of the fridge”, in The Times, London: News UK, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 Apr 2023:
"I could add and subtract and multiply and divide, but I entered the wilderness when words became equations."
— 2022 August 7, Alec Wilkinson, “Could learning algebra in my 60s make me smarter?”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 22 Mar 2023:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The great canyon forms a natural ____ between the two regions.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The only way on Earth to multiply happiness is to ____ it.