Meaning
to dismember, to partition
- to divide or break up a territory, organisation, or collection into parts
- to cut or tear the limbs off a body
In a sentence
Gli investitori hanno deciso di smembrare la società in più rami.
The investors decided to break up the company into several branches.
Il trattato ha finito per smembrare l'antico impero.
The treaty ended up dismembering the ancient empire.
Non volevano smembrare la preziosa collezione di dipinti.
They did not want to break up the precious collection of paintings.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| smembrare | infinitive |
| smembro | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| smembri | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| smembra | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| smembriamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| smembrate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| smembrano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| smembravo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| smembravi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| smembrava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| smembravamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| smembravate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| smembravano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| smembrai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| smembrasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| smembrò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| smembrammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| smembraste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| smembrarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| smembrerò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| smembrerai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| smembrerà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| smembreremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| smembrerete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| smembreranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| smembri | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| smembri | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
Usage notes
- In modern usage, it frequently refers metaphorically to breaking up companies, states, or assets.