divisional

IPA/dɪˈvɪʒənl/
KK[dɪvˈɪʒənəl]IPA/dɪˈvɪʒənl/

divisional — adjective

  • divisionalpositive
  • more divisionalcomparative
  • most divisionalsuperlative

1. connected with one unit inside an army or a large institution.

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

connected with one unit inside an army or a large institution.

Example

The divisional office in Kaohsiung approves budgets for three southern branches.

collocation: divisional office

Rohan briefed the divisional commander before the troops crossed the river.

collocation: divisional commander

Common collocations
  • divisional office
  • divisional commander
  • divisional headquarters
  • divisional team
  • divisional board
Synonyms
  • departmental

    usually used for office or company departments rather than military units

  • branch-level

    broader and more general, often for a local office rather than a formal division

  • sectional

    focuses on one part of a whole, often in a less official way

Antonyms
  • central

    relating to the main office or main command rather than one division

  • national

    covering the whole country or whole organization, not one unit

Grammar Patterns

divisional + noun

Usage Note

Almost always used before a noun. Common noun partners include military titles such as 'commander' and organization words such as 'office', 'team', 'board', and 'role'.

Common Mistakes

She works in the division office for the north zone.
She works in the divisional office for the north zone.
Use 'divisional' as the adjective before a noun.
The divisional met on Monday.
The divisional board met on Monday.
'Divisional' describes a unit; it does not usually stand alone as a noun in this sense.

2. used to separate sections or to show where one section ends and another begins.

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

used to separate sections or to show where one section ends and another begins.

Example

A divisional line across the map separates the farming zone from the hills.

collocation: divisional line

Christopher added divisional bars to the chart so readers could follow each section.

pattern: divisional + bars

Common collocations
  • divisional line
  • divisional bars
  • divisional marks
  • divisional boundary
Synonyms
  • separating

    more general and less formal

  • dividing

    focuses on splitting parts, often with a physical result

  • partitioning

    emphasizes splitting parts, often in a technical or design context

Antonyms
  • unifying

    bringing parts together instead of keeping them apart

  • connecting

    joining sections rather than marking a break between them

Grammar Patterns

divisional + noun

Usage Note

This sense is more formal and usually appears in technical, design, mapping, or layout contexts. It refers to something that creates or marks a boundary, not to a military or management unit.

Common Mistakes

The divisional office separates the two teams on the chart.
The divisional line separates the two teams on the chart.
In this sense, 'divisional' describes a marker or boundary, not an administrative unit.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Divisional usually points to one formal unit inside a bigger army, company, hospital, or other institution. Departmental is close in office settings, but it normally refers to a department and is less natural for military structure. Branch is broader and often less formal; a branch office may simply be one local location, while a divisional office belongs to a defined division in a larger system. Sectional often means connected with one part of something, but it can sound more general or even argumentative, as in sectional interests. Regional focuses on geography, not internal structure. A regional manager covers one area, while a divisional manager leads one division in the organization chart.

departmental ↗branch ↗sectionalregional ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • divisional level

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Divisional was formed from division plus the adjective ending -al. Division came into English through French from Latin divisio, from dividere, meaning 'to separate'. Because of that history, divisional keeps both ideas found in the noun division: it can describe a formal unit inside a larger body, or something that separates one part from another.