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Dichotomous: meaning, definitions and examples

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dichotomous

 

[ dʌɪˈkɒtəməs ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

biology

Characterized by divided or dividing into two parts or classifications.

Synonyms

bifurcating, divided, splitting

Examples of usage

  • The dichotomous key helped us identify the different species of plants in the forest.
  • The dichotomous nature of the decision left him feeling torn between two options.
Context #2 | Adjective

logic

Divided or dividing into two parts or classifications, especially mutually exclusive or contradictory ones.

Synonyms

contradictory, mutually exclusive, opposing

Examples of usage

  • The dichotomous thinking of the philosopher led to oversimplified conclusions.
  • The dichotomous views of the politicians polarized the public opinion.

Translations

Translations of the word "dichotomous" in other languages:

🇵🇹 dicotômico

🇮🇳 द्विविभाजित

🇩🇪 dichotom

🇮🇩 dichotomi

🇺🇦 дихотомічний

🇵🇱 dichotomiczny

🇯🇵 二分法の

🇫🇷 dichotomique

🇪🇸 dicotómico

🇹🇷 dichotomous

🇰🇷 이분법의

🇸🇦 ثنائي التفرع

🇨🇿 dichotomický

🇸🇰 dichotomický

🇨🇳 二分的

🇸🇮 dihotomen

🇮🇸 tvískiptur

🇰🇿 дихотомиялық

🇬🇪 დიქოტომიური

🇦🇿 dixotomik

🇲🇽 dicotómico

Etymology

The word 'dichotomous' originates from the Greek word 'dichotomos', which is a combination of 'di' meaning two, and 'temnein' meaning to cut. It first appeared in English in the early 17th century. The concept of dividing into two parts or classifications has been used in various fields such as biology, logic, and philosophy.

See also: dichotomy.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #21,846, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.