divisive
/dɪˈvaɪsɪv/adjective
divisive is spelled D-I-V-I-S-I-V-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 2.2 times per million words in written English, the 18,537th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, divisive means “Having a quality that divides or separates” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in divisive?
| Letters | 8: D-I-V-I-S-I-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.2 times per million words; the 18,537th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is divisive?
Divisive appears 2.2 times per million words in written English, the 18,537th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce divisive?
- UK /dɪˈvaɪsɪv/
- US /dɪˈvaɪsɪv/
- Canada /dɪˈvɪzɪv/
Divisive has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-divisive.wav, En-divisive.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with divisive?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as divisive from its last stressed vowel (/aɪsɪv/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of divisive
- more divisive comparative
- most divisive superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does divisive mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Having a quality that divides or separates.
Rather than fostering unity, he becomes divisive.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Divisive in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense having a quality that divides or separates:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does divisive come from?
Borrowed from Latin dīvīsīvus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).