bicommunal

adjective

bi·​com·​mu·​nal (ˌ)bī-kə-ˈmyü-nᵊl How to pronounce bicommunal (audio)
-ˈkä-myə-
: involving or including two distinct communities of people : of, relating to, or being a society composed of two distinct or separate communities often with conflicting interests
In the Canadian federation, there is a strong bicommunal element, given the fundamental English-speaking and French-speaking division.Ronald L. Watts, Autonomy and Ethnicity: Negotiating Competing Claims in Multi-ethnic States, 2000
In any case, neither the EU nor any supranational structure would possess any innate advantage in attempts to resolve bicommunal disputes such as that in Northern Ireland.Derek W. Urwin, Regions and Regionalism in Europe, 2004
Perhaps most importantly, Rwanda can be described as a bicommunal society. This term refers to a society where over 80 percent of the population belongs to one of two well-defined identity groups. Also, the two groups in Rwanda are not in balance. Bicommunal societies are marked by social differentiation and segregation, which often results in political separation or conflict.John James Quinn et al., Ethnic Conflict and International Politics, 2004

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bicommunal was in 1964

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Cite this Entry

“Bicommunal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bicommunal. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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