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Glite Dictionary
Western Schism

Western Schism

9.9
A split in the Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417 when rival popes ruled from Rome and Avignon
  • noun
  • /ˈwɛstərn ˈskɪzəm/
  • Formal
translation icon : Cisma de Occidente
  • During the Western Schism, two popes claimed authority, one in Rome and another in Avignon.

Examples

  • And gee, we haven't even mentioned the Great Western Schism, which absolutely rocked this supposedly solid Christendom.

    Blog text (27)

  • Historians often debate the causes and consequences of the Western Schism in medieval Christianity.

  • In it, he noted that he had reached the high point of his hegemonic career during the time of the great Western schism.

    Academic text (2005)

  • The Western Schism resulted in the election of rival popes, creating a significant divide in the Catholic Church.

Synonyms

Great Schism
vsWestern Schism
1 9.9

A period from 1378 to 1417 when rival popes in Rome and Avignon split the Catholic Church

is the identical event referred to by a different historical name

Surface Forms

Western Schism singular
Western Schisms plural

Morphology

western + schism

The constituents 'western' (location) and 'schism' (division) make it clear to a learner that this refers to some kind of division in the Western sphere, so the general idea is inferable. However, the expression names a specific historical event (the 1378–1417 papal split with rival popes), and those factual, temporal and institutional details are not predictable from the parts alone, so full understanding requires prior knowledge.

Etymology

Western Schism refers to a period when the Catholic Church was split because two rival popes claimed to be the true leader, one in Rome and one in Avignon. So the name points to a long 'division' in the Church from 1378 to 1417, when leaders fought over who was the real pope.