divisive
Causing strong disagreement
Divisive describes something that causes disagreement or conflict among people, splitting them into opposing camps: a divisive issue, divisive rhetoric.
The word often appears in political contexts where opinions polarize sharply: The policy proved deeply divisive.
A divisive figure provokes strong reactions—admired by some, despised by others.
Causing sharp division
- contentiousInclined toward disagreement
- controversialCausing public dispute
- inflammatoryTending to provoke outrage
- provocativeMeant to provoke response
splitting · alienating · estranging · factional · partisan · wedge · rift · schism
Biased toward one side
- bipartisanInvolving both major parties
- ideologicalRelating to belief systems
- left-rightSide-to-side directional pair
- sectarianRigidly devoted to faction
factional · tribal · polarized · gerrymandering · battleground · swing state · caucus · bloc
Dividing into two branches
- cleavingDividing by cutting
- fracturingProcess of breaking
- splinteringBreaking into sharp fragments
- fragmentingBreaking into smaller pieces
schismatic · separating · rupturing · severing · disuniting · disintegrating · fissuring · tearing apart
Tending to provoke outrage
- incendiaryCausing or designed for burning
- provocativeMeant to provoke response
- agitatingDisturbing or stirring up
- rabble-rousingInciting mob sentiment
polemical · combative · antagonistic · confrontational · vitriolic · toxic · caustic · strident
Separating by category
- exclusionaryTending to bar others
- discriminatoryShowing unfair distinction
- marginalizingPushing to the fringes
- alienatingCausing emotional separation
isolating · stratifying · fragmenting · balkanizing · tribalizing · clannish · cliquish · insular
polarizing
Causing sharp division
- contentiousInclined toward disagreement
- controversialCausing public dispute
- inflammatoryTending to provoke outrage
provocative · splitting · alienating · estranging · factional · partisan · wedge · rift · schism · discord
partisan
Biased toward one side
- bipartisanInvolving both major parties
- ideologicalRelating to belief systems
- left-rightSide-to-side directional pair
sectarian · factional · tribal · polarized · gerrymandering · battleground · swing state · caucus · bloc · constituency
bifurcating
Dividing into two branches
- cleavingDividing by cutting
- fracturingProcess of breaking
- splinteringBreaking into sharp fragments
fragmenting · schismatic · separating · rupturing · severing · disuniting · disintegrating · fissuring · tearing apart · chasm
inflammatory
Tending to provoke outrage
- incendiaryCausing or designed for burning
- provocativeMeant to provoke response
- agitatingDisturbing or stirring up
rabble-rousing · polemical · combative · antagonistic · confrontational · vitriolic · toxic · caustic · strident · bellicose
segregating
Separating by category
- exclusionaryTending to bar others
- discriminatoryShowing unfair distinction
- marginalizingPushing to the fringes
alienating · isolating · stratifying · fragmenting · balkanizing · tribalizing · clannish · cliquish · insular · sectarian
- receptionacclaim, applause, backlash, buzz, criticism
- clusteringclustering, k-means, clusters, dendrogram, centroid
divisiveconsensual
Involving mutual permission
uncontroversial · noncontroversial · agreeable · accordant · bipartisan
divisiveharmonious
Pleasingly in accord
harmonizing · conciliatory · reconciling · accordant · peacemaking
- long divisionAlgorithm for dividing numbers
- division of laborSplitting tasks among workers
- women's divisionFemale competitive bracket
- division signMathematical separation symbol
- cell divisionParent splitting into offspring
- class divisionSeparation by socioeconomic status
division, subdivision, divisions, divisible, indivisible, divisional, divisiveness, divisibility, divisively