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schism definition

schism (siz′əm, skiz′-)

noun

  1. a split or division in an organized group or society, esp. a church, as the result of difference of opinion, of doctrine, etc.
  2. the act of causing or trying to cause a split or division in a church
  3. any of the sects, parties, etc. formed by such a split

Etymology: ME scisme < OFr cisme < LL(Ec) schisma < Gr < schizein, to cleave, cut: see schizo-

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

schism Synonyms

schism

n.

split, section, cabal, sect; see division 2, faction 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

schism Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • heal: With the schism healed in 1979, Prince Andrej became Grand Master of the Troubletzkoy Order.

Preposition: between

  • art: The great schism between art and craft is one of the symptoms of a heirarchical view of art and a particular casualty of modernism.

Preposition: within

  • community: Experience in other denominations shows that ordination of deaconesses either paved the way to general female ordination and/or to schism within the communities.

Adjective modifier

  • religious: Like Erasmus, Grotius sought to end the religious schism and urged the papacy to reconcile with the Protestant faiths.

Noun used with modifier

  • industry: As for the culture and the music industry schism, let's take a stroll back to the 1960s and 1970s.

Preposition: in

  • church: Our brethren, whom now you follow, are making a schism in the church: follow them not in this.

Preposition: of

  • church: As he joined me he started discussing the schisms of the churches in South Africa.
schism usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"schism." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/schism>

APA Style

schism. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/schism

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