The act or process of dividing anything.
What is division?
• Each of the separate parts of something resulting from division.
• The process of dividing a number by another.
• A calculation that involves this process.
• A formation, usually made up of two or three brigades.
• A usually high-level section of a large company or conglomerate.
• A rank below kingdom and above class, particularly used of plants or fungi, also (particularly of animals) called a phylum; a taxon at that rank.
• A rank below kingdom and above class, particularly used of plants or fungi, also (particularly of animals) called a phylum; a taxon at that rank.
• An optional rank subordinate to the infraclass and superordinate to the legion and cohort; a taxon at that rank.
• A disagreement; a difference of viewpoint between two sides of an argument.
• A method by which a legislature is separated into groups in order to take a better estimate of vote than a voice vote.
• A florid instrumental variation of a melody in the 17th and 18th centuries, originally conceived as the dividing of each of a succession of long notes into several short ones.
• A set of pipes in a pipe organ which are independently controlled and supplied.
• A concept whereby a common group of debtors are only responsible for their proportionate sum of the total debt.
• Any of the four major parts of a COBOL program source code.
• A lesson; a class.
• A parliamentary constituency.
Why division matters
division appears in U.S. legal practice across multiple practice areas. Knowing what it means — and when it applies — can determine the outcome of motions, filings, and negotiations. For non-lawyers, the value of looking up a precise definition is that legal terms often carry meanings that differ from everyday usage; relying on the common meaning can lead to costly missteps.
How division works in practice
In practice, division is invoked when parties, judges, or attorneys need to identify the legal status of an issue, the rights of those involved, or the procedural step required next. The definition shown above is sourced from Wiktionary , which is widely cited in U.S. legal practice. Because U.S. law is jurisdictionally layered — federal, state, and sometimes local — the precise application of the term can vary by court, so check the controlling authority for your specific case.