Divisive
/dɪˈvaɪ.sɪv/noun
Tending to cause disagreement or split people into opposing groups.
Did you know?Divisive ultimately traces back to the same ancient root as words about cutting and sharing, because in Latin the idea of division was physically about slicing something into parts.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dheh₁-
“to set, place, or put”
Latin
Latin
dividere
“to divide, separate, apportion”
Late Latin
Latin
divisivus
“serving to divide or separate”
Middle English
English
divisif
“tending to divide or create disagreement”
Modern English
English
divisive
“causing disagreement or hostility between people”
Explore more surprising origins