Power Thesaurus 1969, thermometer thesaurus, Power Thesaurus, viewed 14 April, 2017, <http://www.powerthesaurus.org/thermometer/synonyms>.
Full Definition of SCHISM. 1. 2. a: formal division in or separation from a church or religious body b: the offense of promoting schism. See schism defined for English-language learners.
Early schisms. The Great Schism was not the first schism between East and West; there had, in fact, been over two centuries of schism during the first millennium of the Church. From 343 to 398, the Church was split over Arianism, a doctrine supported by many in the East, though rejected by the Pope in the West.