di·chot·o·my noun \dī-ˈkä-tə-mē also də-\
: a difference between two opposite things : a division into two opposite groups
plural di·chot·o·mies
Full Definition of DICHOTOMY
1: a division into two especially mutually exclusive or contradictory groups or entities <the dichotomy between theory and practice>; also : the process or practice of making such a division <dichotomy of the population into two opposed classes>
3a : bifurcation; especially : repeated bifurcation (as of a plant’s stem)
b : a system of branching in which the main axis forks repeatedly into two branches
c : branching of an ancestral line into two equal diverging branches
4: something with seemingly contradictory qualities <it’s a dichotomy, this opulent Ritz-style luxury in a place that fronts on a boat harbor — Jean T. Barrett>
Examples of DICHOTOMY
Origin of DICHOTOMY
Greek dichotomia, from dichotomos (see dichotomous)
First Known Use: 1610
Related to DICHOTOMY
- Synonyms
- contradiction, incongruity, paradox
di·chot·o·my
noun \dī-ˈkät-ə-mē also də-\ (Medical Dictionary)
plural di·chot·o·mies
Medical Definition of DICHOTOMY
: a division or forking into branches; especially : repeated bifurcation