schism

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.

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪzəm

Noun

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^[1], volume 5, number 1, MDPI, DOI:10.3390/rel5010219, 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.

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

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Bulgarian: схизма (bg) f (shizma)
• Dutch: schisma (nl) f
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: skisma (fi)
• French: schisme (fr)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: Zerwürfnis (de) n, Spaltung (de) f, Schisma (de) n
• Greek: σχίσμα (el) n (schísma)

  Ancient: σχίσμα n (skhísma)

• Hebrew: פילוג‎ m (pilúg), פיצול‎ (he) m (pitsúl)
• Hungarian: please add this translation if you can
• Italian: scisma (it) m
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: please add this translation if you can

• Latvian: please add this translation if you can
• Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
• Maori: tauwehe
• Occitan: esquisma m, cisma m
• Persian: please add this translation if you can
• Polish: schizma (pl) f
• Portuguese: cisão (pt) f, desmembramento (pt) m
• Romanian: schismă (ro) f
• Russian: раскол (ru) (raskol)
• Serbo-Croatian: раскол m (raskol)
• Slovak: schizma f, rozkol m
• Spanish: cisma (es) m
• Swedish: schism (sv) c, splittring (sv) c
• Tagalog: sisma
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: hizip (tr)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

division within a religious body

• Bulgarian: схизма (bg) f (shizma)
• French: schisme (fr) m
• German: Schisma (de) n
• Greek: σχίσμα (el) n (schísma)

  Ancient: σχίσμα n (skhísma)

• Hungarian: hitszakadás
• Italian: scisma (it) m
• Middle English: scisme

• Occitan: esquisma m, cisma m
• Polish: schizma (pl) f
• Portuguese: cisma (pt) m
• Romanian: schismă (ro) 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)
• Hungarian: egyházszakadás (hu)
• Italian: scisma (it) m
• Occitan: cisma m, esquisma m

• Polish: schizma (pl) f
• Portuguese: cisma (pt) m
• Romanian: schismă (ro) 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