schism

noun

ˈsi-zəm How to pronounce schism (audio)
Definition of schismnext
1
as in discord
a lack of agreement or harmony schism within the charitable organization was preventing it from achieving its goals

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in split
the act or process of a whole separating into two or more parts or pieces the schism of the Christian church into the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of schism The schism led to Faye firing Sonko and dissolving his government before appointing new ministers. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026 Yet, a deep ideological schism remains over what victory for the Islamic Republic should look like. — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026 This turns into a big argument about Issa being a weird little guy, and suddenly there are multiple potential roommate schisms in the house. — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026 Eventually, the conservatives succeeded; the denomination finally divided in a schism in 2024, with more than seventy-six hundred congregations leaving to join a conservative Global Methodist Church. — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for schism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for schism
  1. discord
  2. split
  3. strife
  4. dissolution
  5. friction
  6. breakup
  7. conflict
  8. division
Noun
  • So far, counter-efforts have involved both protectionist and industrial policies, including “Made in Europeâ€� rules that have stoked discord among some of Europe’s largest economies.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Officials say one goal of the attacks is to undermine support for Ukraine, spread fear and discord in European societies and drain investigative resources.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of discord
Noun
  • Somebody introduced the train-test split and started a leaderboard.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The band recorded a third album in 1977 but its label, Columbia, was unimpressed and declined to release it and Pavlov’s Dog split (the album was final issued by German label Rockville some 30 years later).
    — Jem Aswad, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of split
Noun
  • Attorney General James Uthmeier is bringing plenty of strife to Discord, the messaging and gaming platform.
    — CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Australia was in strife at 124-6 on day one but his 190 turned the momentum.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of strife
Noun
  • Hughes stayed with the band for three albums and, after Deep Purple’s dissolution, briefly rejoined Trapeze and released a solo album, Play Me Out, in 1977.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Amuom said the dissolution had contributed to the insecurity by leaving key local government posts vacant.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of dissolution
Noun
  • Washington, for its part, is creating friction in many of its partnerships instead of deepening them, and risks squandering its network just as its adversaries are learning to make more of theirs.
    — Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
  • If deleting your account takes an email to support, a waiting period and a follow-up, that friction is a design choice.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of friction
Noun
  • Karlaftis and Nohl Williams knocked down passes, and Williams added another breakup before game’s end.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The fake message, shared alongside images of Fox and an older photograph of the former couple, claimed Kelly was devastated by the breakup and blamed himself for losing her.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of breakup
Noun
  • The group’s plans for the Middle East have been affected by the regional conflict, which has put some expansion activity in the region on hold.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Given that the United States keeps getting mired in errant conflicts, Congress urgently needs to reassert its constitutional obligation to approve acts of war and oversee retrenchment.
    — Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of conflict
Noun
  • The Jets’ last two division victories came at home in 2024 against New England and Miami, with Jacoby Brissett and Tyler Huntley starting at quarterback for the opposition.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Fundora entered the bout looking toward a chance to unify the 154-pound division, but first had to get past a stubborn mandatory challenger.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of division

Browse Nearby Words

scheming (out)
schism
schismatic
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Cite this Entry

“Schism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/schism. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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