Divisivenesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of causing disagreement or hostility among individuals or groups
2. A state characterized by division and conflict, often resulting in strong opposition and differing opinions
3. The tendency to create rifts or separations within a community, leading to a lack of cohesion and unity among its members

Etymology: The noun in question is a plural form derived from the base word that describes the quality or state of causing division or discord. Its roots lie in the adjective that means "tending to divide" or "creating disagreement." This adjective itself comes from the verb meaning "to divide," which traces back to Latin origins. In Latin, the verb "dividere" meant "to separate" or "to divide," composed of the prefix "dis-" (apart) and "videre" (to separate or divide). This verb passed into English through Old French as "diviser," which retained the sense of splitting or separating. By the late Middle Ages, English speakers adopted "divide" as a verb to indicate separation into parts, both physically and metaphorically. From the verb, the adjective form emerged in English around the 17th century, describing something that causes division, disagreement, or strife. Adding the suffix "-ness," which turns adjectives into nouns denoting a quality or state, created the noun form that embodies the condition or quality of being divisive. Finally, the plural ending "-es" is attached to denote multiple instances or varieties of this quality. While the plural form is rare and somewhat unwieldy, it follows regular English morphological patterns, emphasizing multiple manifestations of divisiveness rather than a singular abstract concept. Thus, this term encapsulates the idea of multiple situations, actions, or tendencies that foster division and discord, with a lineage stretching back to Latin notions of separation and division.

Synonyms: division, discord

Antonyms: unity, harmony