I. pärˈtishən, pə(r)ˈt-, pȧˈt- noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English particioun, from Middle French partition, from Latin partition-, partitio, from partitus (past participle of partire, partiri to divide) + -ion-, -io -ion
1.
a. : the action of parting or the state of being parted : distribution , division , separation
the exact partition of power among kings, lords, and commons — T.B.Macaulay
the partition of the world into the animate and the inanimate — W.R.Inge
the partition of available living space among members of the same … species — W.H.Dowdeswell
b. : the severance voluntarily or by legal proceedings of common or undivided interests especially in real estate : a division into severalty of property held jointly or in common or the sale of such property by a court and the division of the proceeds
c.
(1) : the action of dividing an area forming a single governmental unit into two or more areas under separate authorities
called for the partition of that country into independent Jewish and Arab states — Current Biography
(2) : the condition or territorial and political organization resulting from such division
the present partition of Germany into eastern and western regions — List of Books
conceived of a permanent partition of the continent in terms of the natural boundaries — R.W.Van Alstyne
d. logic : analysis of a class into constituent subclasses
2.
a. : something that divides or separates : something by which different things or distinct parts of the same thing are separated ; especially : an interior wall dividing one part of a structure (as a house, room, or enclosure) from another
a huge space subdivided by light, movable partitions — Current Biography
in banquet halls … folding partitions are very popular — Sweet's Catalog Service
b. : one of a set of paperboard sheets slotted and assembled in a case to form cells for holding and protecting goods or packages in shipment
3. : one of the parts into which a whole is divided (as a portion, section, or division)
the fruit falls to the ground and splits into partitions — American Guide Series: Louisiana
the temple was divided into two noble partitions — Frances Brooke
4. : partitur
II. transitive verb
( partitioned ; partitioned ; partitioning -sh(ə)niŋ ; partitions )
1.
a. : to divide into parts or shares ; specifically : divide (as an estate) into severalty
b. : to divide (as a country) into two or more territorial units having separate political status
the foreign powers partitioned the whole country — Owen & Eleanor Lattimore
the former German capital was partitioned among the … allies — Saturday Review
2. : to separate or divide into distinct parts by a partition (as a wall)
partitioned the great hall into many cubicles
— often used with off
partition off a closet from the storage area
III. noun
1. : any of the expressions that for a given positive integer consist of a sum of positive integers equal to the given integer
1 + 2 + 3 is a partition of 6
2. : the separation of a set (as the points of a line) into subsets such that every element belongs to one set and no two subsets have an element in common
• partition transitive verb