adj
divisive
dih-VEYE-sihv
adj
1
Tending to cause disagreement or split opinion between people.
"It was one of the most divisive issues in the election campaign."
"His comments were seen as needlessly divisive."
How to Use Divisive
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething that pulls people into opposing camps rather than bringing them together.
Common pairings
a divisive figure
divisive politics
highly divisive
Word Forms
more divisive comparative, most divisive superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “divisive”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
It was one of the most _____ issues in the election campaign.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin dīvīsīvus, itself from dīvidō, "to divide".