schism

noun

ˈsi-zəm How to pronounce schism (audio)
ˈski-,
 also  ˈshi-;
among clergy usually
ˈsi- How to pronounce schism (audio)
1
: division, separation
also : discord, disharmony
a schism between political parties
2
a
: formal division in or separation from a church or religious body
b
: the offense of promoting schism

Examples of schism in a Sentence

a schism between leading members of the party The church was divided by schism.
Recent Examples on the Web Additionally, the schism between Prince Harry and his brother William has introduced further turmoil and sadness. Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024 The schism within the organization came to a head last week when Chairperson Anna Zinkhon resigned. Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2024 He is touted as one of the few figures with the broad appeal to bridge the many divisions in Palestinian politics, particularly the enduring schism between Fatah and Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza and led the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Loveday Morris, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 Episodes skip forward and backward, tracing the story of a tumultuous time and the ideological schisms that caused the Civil War and continued long after it. Sarah Crompton, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2024 To Gregory, enforced retirement felt like a schism. Graham Ward, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 Instead of roaring from a conical mountain, effusive fountains of crimson lava bled upward from this schism. Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2024 These policies have prompted departures, but no major schism. David Crary, Twin Cities, 7 Jan. 2024 The schism in the United Methodist Church and rhetoric around Christianity during the 2024 election year could influence the future of the church, Bivins said. Kayla Jimenez, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'schism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English scisme, sisme, cisme "division in the church, dissension in belief, civil strife," borrowed from Anglo-French scisme, borrowed from Late Latin scisma, schisma "division of opinion, dissension in the church," borrowed from Greek schismat-, schísma "cleft, division, (New Testament) division of opinion," from schid-, stem of schízein "to split, separate" + -smat-, -sma, resultative noun suffix — more at shed entry 1

Note: As the spellings suggest, the Middle English and early Modern English pronunciation of this word was with initial [s] rather than [sk]. Hellenized spellings with initial sch- became general in the seventeenth century, though the old pronunciation with initial [s] has persisted until recently.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of schism was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near schism

Cite this Entry

“Schism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/schism. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

schism

noun
1
b
: lack of harmony : discord
2
a
: division in or separation from a church or religious body
b
: the offense of promoting schism

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