divide and conquer

Verb CEFR C1

Definitions

To use a combination of political, military and economic strategies that aim to gain and maintain power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into chunks that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy.

Equivalents

Españoldivide y conquista divide y vencerás

Françaisdiviser pour mieux régner

Deutschteile und herrsche

9 more languages

العربيةفَرِّق تَسُد

Italianodividi e domina

日本語分割統治

한국어분열시킨 뒤에 정복한다

Nederlandsdeel en heers divide et impera verdeel en heers

Portuguêsdividir e conquistar

Русскийразделя́й и вла́ствуй

Svenskasöndra och härska

Tiếng Việtchia để trị

Examples

“It added that it can't begin ⟳ pay ⟳ talks without permission from Transport ⟳ Scotland, and then cited a TSSA union survey of ScotRail that suggested that most of its members were against strikes, instead preferring job security rather than a pay ⟳ rise ⟳. This prompted the TSSA to accuse ScotRail of trying to divide ⟳ and conquer.”

CEFR level

C1

Advanced
This word is part of the CEFR C1 vocabulary — advanced level.

See all C1 English words →

See also

divide and rule divide up divided divided and conquered divided up dividedst

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