schismatic

1 of 2

noun

schis·​mat·​ic siz-ˈma-tik How to pronounce schismatic (audio)
ski-
Synonyms of schismaticnext
: one who creates or takes part in schism

schismatic

2 of 2

adjective

variants or less commonly schismatical
siz-ˈma-ti-kəl How to pronounce schismatic (audio)
ski-
: of, relating to, or guilty of schism
schismatically
siz-ˈma-ti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce schismatic (audio)
ski-
adverb

Examples of schismatic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
How much backing the schismatics might have among AK voters is unclear. — The Economist, 6 June 2019 This situation has arisen because the head of state, President Poroshenko, turned to the patriarch in Constantinople to give autocephaly to the schismatics. — Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Apr. 2019
Adjective
Such was the case this past weekend, when tens of millions of fans keyed in on the denouement of the college basketball season at the expense of lesser spectacles such as spring football and one notoriously schismatic pro golf startup. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 9 Apr. 2025 This action will constitute 'a schismatic act,' and 'formal adherence to the schism constitutes a grave offense against God and entails the excommunication established by the law of the Church'. — Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for schismatic

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English scismatyk, sysmatyke, borrowed from Anglo-French and Late Latin; Anglo-French scismatic, scismatike, borrowed from Late Latin scismaticus, schismaticus, borrowed from Late Greek schismatikós, noun derivative of schismatikós, adjective, "of a schism" — more at schismatic entry 2

Adjective

Middle English scismatike, borrowed from Middle French and Late Latin; Middle French scismatique, borrowed from Late Latin scismaticus, schismaticus, borrowed from Late Greek schismatikós, from schismat-, schísma "dissension in religion" (going back to Greek, "cleft, division") + Greek -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at schism

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of schismatic was in the 14th century

Rhymes for schismatic

See All Rhymes for schismatic

Browse Nearby Words

schisma
schismatic
schismatically
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Schismatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/schismatic. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

schismatic

1 of 2 noun
schis·​mat·​ic siz-ˈmat-ik How to pronounce schismatic (audio)
skiz-
: one who creates or takes part in schism

schismatic

2 of 2 adjective
: of, relating to, or guilty of schism

More from Merriam-Webster on schismatic

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for schismatic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All