MEANING
A division or contrast between two categories presented as distinct or opposed.
Use it for
binary arguments; conceptual contrasts; oversimplified alternativesTest whether an either-or framing hides other possibilities.
Words that belong together
- false dichotomy
- dichotomy between
- challenge a dichotomy
On the page
The essay rejects a simple dichotomy between tradition and modernity.
Calling the options freedom or security creates a false dichotomy.
The data reveal a continuum where the classification assumes a dichotomy.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- dichotomy
Usage notes
Primary category: academic. Academic and formal; a dichotomy can be useful or misleading. A false dichotomy excludes legitimate intermediate or additional possibilities. Singular: dichotomy; plural: dichotomies. Derived family (not inflections): dichotomous.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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