Meaning of divide In English

• 0 to (cause to) separate into parts or groups:

  • At the end of the lecture, I'd like all the students to divide into small discussion groups.

  • After the Second World War Germany was divided into two separate countries.

  • I think we should divide (up) the costs equally among/between us.

  • There's a narrow alley that divides our house from the one next door.

  • This path marks the dividing line between my land and my neighbour's.

  • She divides her time between her apartment in New York and her house in the Berkshires.

  • After a lengthy debate, MPs/the House of Commons divided.

• 1 to cause a group of people to disagree about something:

  • The party is divided on/over the issue of capital punishment.

• 2 to calculate the number of times that one number fits (exactly) into another:

  • 10 divided by 5 is/equals 2.

  • What do you get if you divide 6 into 18?

  • 2 divides into 10 five times.

• 3 a difference or separation:

  • The divide between the rich and the poor in this country is continuing to grow.

• 4 to separate into parts or groups, or to cause something to separate in such a way:

  • [ T ] Divide the cake into six equal parts.

  • [ I ] The votes divided equally for and against the proposal.

  • [ T ] A narrow driveway divides our house from the one next door.

  • [ T ] The issue of tax reform continues to divide the country.

• 5 to calculate the number of times one number is contained in another:

  • [ T ] 10 divided by 5 is/equals 2.

  • [ T ] What do you get if you divide 6 into 18?

• 6 a separation:

  • The river forms a divide between mountains and coastal plains.

  • It’s on taxes that the divide between the two candidates is widest.

• 7 to calculate the number of times one number fits into another:

  • Convert the euro amount into sterling by dividing the euro amount by the exchange rate.

• 8 to separate, or make something separate, into different parts or groups:

  • He and his brother decided to divide the company into two parts.