schism

schism

English

WOTD – 28 April 2007

Etymology

From Old French cisme or scisme, from Ancient Greek σχίσμα (skhísma, “division”), from σχίζω (skhízō, “I split”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈskɪzəm/, /ˈsɪzəm/, /ˈʃɪzəm/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɪzəm

Noun

schism (plural schisms)

1. A split or separation within a group or organization, typically caused by discord.
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

• (split or separation): division, separation, split

Antonyms

• (split, division, separation): unity

Related terms

• schismatic

Translations

split, division, separation, discord

Bulgarian: схизма (bg) f (shizma) Dutch: schisma (nl) f Finnish: skisma (fi) French: schisme (fr) German: Zerwürfnis (de) n, Spaltung (de) f, Schisma (de) n Greek: σχίσμα (el) n (schísma) Ancient Greek: σχίσμα n (skhísma) Italian: scisma (it) m Maori: tauwehe

Occitan: esquisma m, cisma m Polish: schizma (pl) f Russian: раскол (ru) (raskol) Serbo-Croatian: раскол m (raskol) Slovak: schizma f Spanish: cisma (es) m Swedish: schism (sv) c, splittring (sv) c Tagalog: sisma Turkish: hizip (tr)

division within a religious body

Bulgarian: схизма (bg) f (shizma) French: schisme (fr) m German: Schisma (de) n Greek: σχίσμα (el) n (schísma) Ancient Greek: σχίσμα n (skhísma) Italian: scisma (it) m

Occitan: esquisma m, cisma m Polish: schizma (pl) f Russian: схи́зма (ru) f (sxízma) Serbo-Croatian: раскол m (raskol) Spanish: cisma (es) m

split within Christianity

Bulgarian: схизма (bg) f (shizma) French: schisme (fr) m German: Schisma (de) n Greek: σχίσμα (el) n (schísma) Italian: scisma (it) m Occitan: cisma m, esquisma m

Polish: schizma (pl) f Portuguese: cisma (pt) f Russian: схи́зма (ru) f (sxízma) Serbo-Croatian: раскол m (raskol) Spanish: cisma (es) m Tagalog: sisma

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

Esperanto: skismo

Anagrams

• Chisms