dividir
verbCEFR B2
What does “dividir” mean in English?
to divide, to split
to divide, to split (dividir a la sociedad / la opinión — create opposing factions or positions)
Example sentences
La propuesta de reforma agraria dividió a la sociedad entre quienes veían en ella una solución justa y quienes la rechazaban de plano.
The land reform proposal divided society between those who saw it as a fair solution and those who flatly rejected it.
La decisión dividió al partido en dos facciones irreconciliables que aún hoy mantienen posiciones enfrentadas.
The decision divided the party into two irreconcilable factions that still maintain opposing positions today.
Este tema sigue dividiendo la opinión pública de manera que hace difícil alcanzar un consenso.
This topic continues to divide public opinion in a way that makes it difficult to reach a consensus.
How to use it
Dividir in the social/political sense means 'to divide' — causing people or society to split into opposing factions. Frame: dividir a la sociedad / la opinión. Personal a with human collective objects. At B2, dividir is essential in contexts of social polarisation, political debate, and historical analysis.
Common mistake
Personal a is required for human/institutional collective objects: dividir a la sociedad, dividir al partido. The mathematical sense (divide 10 by 2) takes entre: dividir 10 entre 2. Don't use divisivo (an anglicism) in formal Spanish — prefer la medida que divide or una cuestión que divide.