cisma

schism

noun SEES-mah Rare

Origin: Greek schisma (split, division), via Latin.

Also means

split

Usage Note

Cisma is grammatically masculine (el cisma), which surprises learners since it ends in -a. It refers to a formal division within a church, political party, or organisation — the most famous being the Great Schism of 1054 between Eastern and Western Christianity. In modern colloquial use it can describe any serious organisational rupture. The adjective is cismático (schismatic).

Examples

"El cisma dividió a la comunidad religiosa en dos grupos."

Natural Translation

The schism divided the religious community into two groups.

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