- division or disunion, especially into mutually opposed parties.
- the parties so formed.
- Ecclesiastical.
- a formal division within, or separation from, a church or religious body over some doctrinal difference.
- the state of a sect or body formed by such division.
- the offense of causing or seeking to cause such a division.
- the division of a group into opposing factions
- the factions so formed
- division within or separation from an established Church, esp the Roman Catholic Church, not necessarily involving differences in doctrine
