SCHISM
Dictionary entry overview: What does schism mean?
• SCHISM (noun)
The noun SCHISM has 2 senses:
1. division of a group into opposing factions
2. the formal separation of a church into two churches or the withdrawal of one group over doctrinal differences
Familiarity information: SCHISM used as a noun is rare.
Dictionary entry details
• SCHISM (noun)
Meaning:
Division of a group into opposing factions
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Synonyms:
schism; split
Context example:
another schism like that and they will wind up in bankruptcy
Hypernyms ("schism" is a kind of...):
division (the act or process of dividing)
Meaning:
The formal separation of a church into two churches or the withdrawal of one group over doctrinal differences
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural events
Hypernyms ("schism" is a kind of...):
breach; break; falling out; rift; rupture; severance (a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions))
Instance hyponyms:
Great Schism (the period from 1378 to 1417 during which there were two papacies in the Roman Catholic Church, one in Rome and one in Avignon)
