Fissiparous

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /fɪˈsɪpəɹəs/

Definitions

1. multiplying through natural division or fission into separate organisms
2. propagating by splitting into independent parts or organisms
3. Capable of reproducing or multiplying by splitting or dividing into separate individuals

Etymology: "Fissiparous" is built from two Latin roots: "fissus," meaning "split" or "cleft," and "pario," meaning "to bring forth" or "to give birth." The pairing is a deliberate imitation of "viviparous" (giving birth to live young), which is built the same way from "vivus" (alive) and "pario." Scientists writing in New Latin formed "fissiparus" on that model, so the word describes a way of reproducing by splitting the body in two, rather than by producing offspring from within. That biological sense is the word's original and most literal use. Organisms such as amoebae and many bacteria reproduce by binary fission, dividing into two identical halves. English speakers later borrowed the New Latin coinage and extended its meaning to anything that tends to break apart or divide into factions, so a fissiparous political party is one that keeps splitting into smaller groups.

Synonyms: divisive, splintering

Antonyms: unifying, cohesive