Basic Details
Word: Divided
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Split into parts or groups, or shared out among people; it is also the past form of divide.
Synonyms: split, separated, shared, halved
Antonyms: united, joined, combined
How to Spell Divided
Syllables: di - vid - ed
Tricky part: The first two vowels are both i: d-i-v-i-ded. Because the first syllable is said quickly, many students write devided.
Watch out for: devided, divded, dividid
Memory tip: Picture a line drawn down the middle of the word: the v has an i on each side, one for each half.
Idioms and Phrases
- united we stand, divided we fall: people are strong when they stay together and weak when they split up Example: "Before the inter-house final our captain reminded us: united we stand, divided we fall."
Usage Examples
Example 1: The teacher divided the class into four teams for the quiz.
Example 2: Opinion in the family was divided over where to go for the holidays.
Example 3: Twenty-four divided by six is four.
Fun Fact
In a division sum the number being divided is called the dividend and the number you divide by is the divisor; both words come from the Latin verb dividere.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. disected 2. multiplyed 3. divided 4. substracted
a) split into parts or groups
b) taken away from another number
c) cut open in order to study the inside
d) increased by a number of times
Show answer
a) split into parts or groups. Multiplied changes its y to i, subtracted has no s after the b, and dissected needs a double s, so divided stands alone.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to complete the word:
d_v_ded
a) e, i
b) i, i
c) i, e
d) e, e
Show answer
b) i, i. Divide has an i in each of its first two syllables, and adding -ed changes nothing before the d.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word divided as used in the sentence:
After a long debate, the villagers were bitterly divided over where to dig the new well.
a) united
b) split
c) separated
d) torn
Show answer
a) united. Split, torn and separated all describe people who disagree; united means they stand together.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. If a cake is divided equally among four children, each child gets ____.
a) two thirds
b) one quarter
c) the whole cake
d) one half
Show answer
b) one quarter
2. What do we call the answer when one number is divided by another?
a) quotient
b) sum
c) product
d) difference
Show answer
a) quotient
