Dichotomous Meaning
/daɪˈkɒt.ə.məs/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjDividing or branching into two mutually exclusive pieces.
Sentence Examples
The dichotomous key helped identify the species.
Dichotomous thinking can be limiting.
The biologist used a dichotomous key to identify the plant.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ nature of the argument presented two opposing views.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ key helped identify the species.
Word Origin & History
From Late Latin dichotomos, from Ancient Greek διχότομος (dikhótomos, “cut in half”). By surface analysis, dichotomy + -ous.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Genus Riccia L. Plants are thalloid, forming rosettes or loose, dichotomous patches."
— 1992, Marie L. Hicks, Guide to the Liverworts of North Carolina, page 197:
"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."
— 2023 February 23, Fara Dabhoiwala, “The West by Naoíse Mac Sweeney review – history rediscovered”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ nature of the argument presented two opposing views.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ key helped identify the species.