schism

/ˈskɪzəm/

/ˈskɪzəm/

Other forms: schisms

The sound of the word schism reminds some people of the sound of a piece of paper being torn in two; which makes sense — when a group has a big fight and the group is torn in two, that's a schism.

Although the Spanish club could have a schism over taco night versus tamale fest, schism often refers to splits in the church. You might have heard of the Great Schism of 1054, when the eastern Christian church, headquartered in Byzantium (now Istanbul), broke away from the western one headquartered in Rome.

Definitions of schism

1. noun

   division of a group into opposing factions
   “another schism like that and they will wind up in bankruptcy”

   synonyms: split

   type of:

   division

   the act or process of dividing
2. noun

   the formal separation of a church into two churches or the withdrawal of one group over doctrinal differences
   examples:

   Great Schism

   the period from 1378 to 1417 during which there were two papacies in the Roman Catholic Church, one in Rome and one in Avignon

   type of:

   breach, break, falling out, rift, rupture, severance

   a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions)