A subdivision is a large piece of land that has been divided into smaller parcels, usually for building houses. When a developer buys a big farm or empty lot on the edge of town, they often split it into dozens of smaller lots, build streets and utilities, and then construct homes. The whole neighborhood that results is called a subdivision.

Many American suburbs consist of subdivisions built during the same period, which is why the houses often look similar and the streets follow planned, curving patterns rather than the more random layout of older neighborhoods. A subdivision might be called Oak Hills or Maple Grove, and it often has its own entrance sign.

In a different context, subdivision means any act of dividing something into smaller parts. In geometry, you might subdivide a rectangle into four equal squares. In biology, scientists organize living things into kingdoms, phyla, classes, and smaller subdivisions all the way down to individual species. When you break a big task into smaller steps, you're subdividing it to make it more manageable.