divide-and-rule
UK[dɪˌvaɪd ən ˈruːl]US[dɪˌvaɪd ən ˈruːl]
n
A policy or strategy of gaining and maintaining power by encouraging disagreement and hostility among potential opponents, thereby preventing them from uniting against the ruler.
Morpheme Breakdown
divide
and
rule
divide
separate
and
conjunction
rule
govern
Etymology
The phrase is a direct translation of the Latin maxim divide et impera (divide and command), attributed to the Roman Senate and later famously employed as a political strategy by rulers like Philip II of Macedon and Niccolò Machiavelli. It encapsulates a pragmatic, often cynical, logic of governance: by actively fostering divisions—whether ethnic, social, or political—within a subject population or rival group, a central authority weakens collective resistance. The modern abstract meaning retains this core strategic concept, applying it beyond imperial rule to contexts like corporate management, geopolitics, and social manipulation, where power is maintained not through unity but through the skillful exploitation of discord.
Analysis
Structure: divide (separate) + and (conjunction) + rule (govern)
divide: From Latin dividere (to force apart, separate), functioning as a verb root.
and: From Old English and, ond (a conjunction joining words or clauses), functioning as a grammatical connector.
rule: From Old French riule, from Latin regula (straight stick, pattern, principle), functioning as a noun/verb root.
Examples
The colonial administration was accused of using a divide-and-rule tactic to prevent the various tribal groups from forming a united front.
Some critics argue that the policy is a classic example of divide-and-rule, designed to keep the opposition fragmented.
Rather than addressing the core issues, the leader's strategy seemed to be one of divide-and-rule.