partition

partition — noun

IPA/pɑːˈtɪʃn/
KK[pɑrtˈɪʃən]IPA/pɑːrˈtɪʃn/
  • partitionsingular
  • partitionsplural

1. a panel or thin inside wall used to split a room or other indoor space.

1.nounB2
Definition

a panel or thin inside wall used to split a room or other indoor space.

Example

Glass partitions separated the nurses' station from the waiting area.

glass partitions in a workplace

The carpenter built a wooden partition across the back of the shop.

Common collocations
  • glass partition
  • wooden partition
  • office partition
  • folding partition
Synonyms
  • divider

    a close everyday word, often for something that separates space or objects

  • screen

    often lighter, movable, or partly transparent

  • wall

    broader and usually more solid or permanent

Grammar Patterns

a partition between two areas

behind a partition

Usage Note

Common in offices, classrooms, shops, and shared rooms. It usually suggests something lighter or less permanent than a full wall.

Common Mistakes

The office added partition between the two desks.
The office added a partition between the two desks.
This sense is countable, so you usually need an article.

2. the act or outcome of splitting a single country so its parts become separate st

2.nounC1
Definition

the act or outcome of splitting a single country so its parts become separate states or fall under different governments.

Example

The 1947 partition forced millions of families to cross new borders.

historic partition of a country

District officers redrew tax maps during the partition of the province.

Common collocations
  • the partition of the country
  • oppose partition
  • after partition
  • post-partition violence
Synonyms
  • division

    broader and can refer to many kinds of splitting, not only countries

  • breakup

    more informal and often stresses collapse

  • separation

    more general and less tied to official political borders

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the partition of a country

after partition

Usage Note

Often used for major historical or political events and commonly followed by of plus a country or region. Distinguish from noun/1, which names a physical divider inside a building.

Common Mistakes

A partition of India happened in 1947.
The partition of India happened in 1947.
This sense usually refers to a known historical event, so English often uses 'the'.

partition — verb

IPA/pɑːˈtɪʃ.ən/
KK[pɑrtˈɪʃən]IPA/pɑːrˈtɪʃ.ən/

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun sense 1, a partition is a divider placed inside a larger room or building. Divider is a close everyday match, but it can also mean a small object used in drawers or folders. Screen often suggests something lighter, movable, or partly see-through, while partition can be fixed in place. Wall is broader and usually suggests a stronger, more permanent structure. Panel can name one flat piece of material, but it does not always imply that the piece separates spaces. In an office, glass partitions may divide desks; at home, a folding screen may give privacy; and a brick wall usually forms the room itself, not just an inner division.

divider ↗screen ↗wall ↗panel ↗

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Partition came into English through Old French from Latin partitio, a noun built from partiri, meaning 'divide into parts'. The noun kept the idea of a division or something that creates one, and the verb later developed from that noun in English.