dichotomous

CEFRC1

/daɪˈkɒt.ə.məs/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Divided into two completely different and opposite parts.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Dividing or branching into two mutually exclusive pieces.

Examples

  • The biologist used a dichotomous key to identify the plant.

  • The dichotomous key helped identify the species.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
2
Parts of speech
1
Citations
2
Synonyms
2

Also pronounced

  • [daɪˈkɑ.ɾə.məs]
  • [dɑe̯ˈkɔɾ.ə.məs]

Deep Dive

More examples

In context

  • Dichotomous thinking can be limiting.

  • Genus Riccia L. Plants are thalloid, forming rosettes or loose, dichotomous patches.

  • The second half of the book switches to the increasingly dark story of how, from the 17th century onwards, European thinkers and politicians constructed a more and more dichotomous worldview.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The blank nature of the argument presented two opposing views.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

From Late Latin dichotomos, from Ancient Greek διχότομος (dikhótomos, “cut in half”). By surface analysis, dichotomy + -ous.