Divisional

How to spell divisional

10 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce divisional

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does divisional mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to a division, that is, a distinct section, department, or administrative unit of a larger organisation.

Divisional in a sentence

• The regional teams report to their divisional manager every quarter.

• The army held a divisional parade to honour the returning troops.

Where does divisional come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb dividere, which literally meant 'to force apart' or 'to separate', built from the prefix dis- 'apart' and a root linked to the idea of splitting. From that verb came the Latin noun divisio, meaning the act of dividing or a section that results from it. English took 'division' through Old French in the 1300s, first for the act of splitting something and later for an administrative or organisational unit such as an army division or a company department. The adjective 'divisional' was formed in English by adding the suffix -al, and it became common in military and corporate language to describe anything belonging to such a unit. The same dividere root still powers familiar relatives like 'divide', 'dividend', and 'individual' (literally 'not divisible'), and remembering that 'division' sits whole inside 'divisional' helps fix the spelling.

How the word is built

• divis- (from Latin dividere: to divide, to separate)
• -ion (noun-forming suffix)
• -al (adjective suffix)