Divisive

medium

dih-VY-siv

adjective

Definition

Tending to cause disagreement or hostility between people

Examples

The divisive policy split the party into factions.
His divisive comments created tension in the workplace.

Synonyms

polarizingcontentiousdisruptiveschismatic

Antonyms

unifyingcohesiveconciliatoryharmonious

Categories

GRE Tip

Divisive is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "polarizing" or "contentious" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "unifying".

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