Noun: schism
| Singular | schism |
| Plural | schisms |
Sample Sentences
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A schism broke the organization into two rivals.
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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. [2014 March 3, Zoe Alderton, “‘Snapewives’ and ‘Snapeism’: A Fiction-Based Religion within the Harry Potter Fandom”, in Religions, volume 5, number 1, MDPI, →DOI, archived from the original on 20 Dec 2014, pages 219–257:]
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But Harry, in his civilian suit, was also a reminder of the schism between the traditional and the modern in the royal family that can’t be drowned out by pageantry. [2023 May 6, James Poniewozik, “Charles III Was Crowned King. But Can He Ever Be the Star?”, in The New York Times:]
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He founded a schism that eventually rivaled the original organization in size.
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The schism between Sunnis and Shias happened quite early in Islamic history.
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The ordinations could prove to be the first significant crisis for Pope Leo because they provoke a schism – an intentional rupture of the church’s unity. [2026 July 1, Angela Giuffrida, “Fears of Catholic schism as defiant sect ordains ultra-conservative bishops”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:]
Nouns inflected like schism
soldier's woundwort,
Nicosian,
whopper,
greypate,
tactile sign language,
chronotrope,
Rosie Lee,
dissentient,
photoinactivator,
sulphonediimine,
coastal waterfall,
residuary devise,
bituminization,
nitrosonaphthol,
smṛiti,
geosphere,
backscreen,
mensuralist,
flocculate,
flocculant, etc. (List truncated at 20 nouns)
Etymology
1. From Middle English scisme, from Old French cisme or scisme, from Ancient Greek σχίσμα (skhísma, “division”), from σχίζω (skhízō, “I split”). Doublet of schisma. Compare chasm.
2. This word was historically pronounced /ˈsɪzəm/ (and still is among the clergy); the pronunciations /ˈʃɪzəm/, /ˈskɪzəm/ are due to the spelling (the latter may have been reinforced by learned influence); compare schedule. See: Middle English Nouns '
scisme', Ancient Greek Nouns '
σχίσμα'.