bifurcated

adjective

bi·​fur·​cat·​ed ˈbī-(ˌ)fər-ˌkā-təd 

bī-ˈfər-

: divided into two branches or parts

This near-earth asteroid appears as a bifurcated structure, consisting of two distinct lobes that seem to be in contact.

—Richard P. Binzel et al.

The town is a bifurcated community—two distinct communities in one, really.

—Dennis Farney

… the strange bifurcated world of whiteness and blackness in which I was born and reared.

—William Styron

Examples of bifurcated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Arizona has long had a bifurcated registration system, with proof of citizenship required to vote in state and local elections. —Benjamin Swasey, NPR, 19 Mar. 2026

The bifurcated voting system is modeled after Arizona, where tens of thousands of voters who have not provided proof of citizenship can cast ballots only in federal elections. —ABC News, 7 Mar. 2026

The Pyramid’s sale to Yoda PLC not only signals a turning point for San Francisco’s bifurcated office market, where trophy towers thrive even as lesser office buildings languish, but also closes the short, high-profile chapter of New York investor Shvo’s stewardship of the iconic building. —Laura Waxmann, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Mar. 2026

Numerous studies on financial social media channels recently have highlighted just how historically bifurcated participation has become — a reminder that index stability can mask substantial rotation underneath. —Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bifurcated

• abdicated
• abrogated
• acclimated
• activated
• actuated
• adumbrated
• advocated
• aggravated
• aggregated
• agitated
• allocated
• alternated