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Definition of dichotomy

dichotomy

/daɪˈkɑːtəmi/
di · chot · o · my
Adverb:dichotomously
•
Plural:dichotomies
•
Adjective:dichotomous
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dichotomy Lexical Profile

dichotomy Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

Example

"The novel explores the sharp dichotomy between rural tradition and urban modernity."

2

In botany and biology, repeated branching into two equal parts.

Example

"Certain species of clubmosses exhibit strict dichotomy in the branching of their stems."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for dichotomy
Antonyms
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• Rhymes for dichotomy

• Nearby Words

dicentra
dicer
dicey
dichotomy
dick
dickcissel
dickens

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the early 17th century via Modern Latin from Ancient Greek 'dichotomia' ('a cutting in two'), derived from 'dicha' ('in two, asunder') and 'temnein' ('to cut').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Dichotomy. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/dichotomy
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