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schism

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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English

WOTD – 28 April 2007

Etymology

From Middle English scisme, from Old French cisme or scisme, from Ancient Greek σχίσμα (skhísma, “division”), from σχίζω (skhízō, “I split”). Doublet of schisma. Compare chasm.

This word was historically pronounced /ˈsɪzəm/ (and still is among the clergy); the pronunciations /ˈʃɪzəm/, /ˈskɪzəm/ are due to the spelling (the latter may have been reinforced by learned influence); compare schedule.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈskɪzəm/, /ˈsɪzəm/, /ˈʃɪzəm/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪzəm

Noun

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

schism (plural schisms)

  1. A split or separation within a group or organization, typically caused by discord.
    • 2014 March 3, Zoe Alderton, “‘Snapewives’ and ‘Snapeism’: A Fiction-Based Religion within the Harry Potter Fandom”, in Religions‎, volume 5, number 1, MDPI, →DOI, pages 219–257:
      Despite personal schisms and differences in spiritual experience, there is a very coherent theology of Snape shared between the wives. To examine this manifestation of religious fandom, I will first discuss the canon scepticism and anti-Rowling sentiment that helps to contextualise the wider belief in Snape as a character who extends beyond book and film.
    • 2023 May 6, James Poniewozik, “Charles III Was Crowned King. But Can He Ever Be the Star?”, in The New York Times‎:
      But Harry, in his civilian suit, was also a reminder of the schism between the traditional and the modern in the royal family that can’t be drowned out by pageantry.
  2. (religion) A formal division or split within a religious body.
    The schism between Sunnis and Shias happened quite early in Islamic history.
  3. (Catholicism) a split within Christianity whereby a group no longer recognizes the Bishop of Rome as the head of the Church, but shares essentially the same beliefs with the Church of Rome. In other words, a political split without the introduction of heresy.

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • (split, division, separation): unity

Derived terms

Translations

division within a religious body
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

schism (third-person singular simple present schisms, present participle schisming, simple past and past participle schismed)

  1. (transitive) To split, divide (a group or organization).
    • 2025 June 14, Guy Chazan, quoting Charlie Kirk, “Trump's anti-war pledge tested amid Maga base fear of fresh conflict”, in FT Weekend, page 4:
      “This is going to schism Maga terribly online,” Kirk said. “You're going to see—I don't want to say a Maga civil war, but it's going to be a Maga online food fight that is going to be very hard to navigate.”

Anagrams

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Welsh

Etymology

Borrowed from English schism.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈsɡɪsm/, [ˈskɪsm]

Noun

schism m (uncountable, not mutable)

  1. obsolete spelling of sgism (“schism”)

Further reading

  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “sgism”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

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