Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: cisme, from Late Latin schisma, from Greek, 'division', from schizein 'to split'

schism

 noun
     
Related topics: Christianity
schis‧m [uncountable and countable]
RRC the separation of a group into two groups, caused by a disagreement about its aims and beliefs, especially in the Christian church [= split]
—schismatic adjective
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
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