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Definition of divisive adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

divisive

adjective
 
/dɪˈvaɪsɪv/
 
/dɪˈvaɪsɪv/
 (disapproving)
Word Family
  • divide verb noun
  • division noun
  • divisive adjective
  • divisor noun
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  1. causing people to be split into groups that disagree with or oppose each other
    • He believes that unemployment is socially divisive.
    see also divideTopics Opinion and argumentc2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • become
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    • …
    See full entry
    Word Originmid 16th cent. (as a noun denoting something that divides or separates): from late Latin divisivus, from Latin dividere ‘force apart, remove’.
See divisive in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee divisive in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
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