bifurcation

noun

bi·fur·ca·tion | \ ˌbī-(ˌ)fər-ˈkā-shən

How to pronounce bifurcation (audio)

\

Definition of bifurcation

1a : the point or area at which something divides into two branches or parts : the point at which bifurcating occurs Inflammation may occlude the bifurcation of the trachea.

b : branch

2 : the state of being divided into two branches or parts : the act of bifurcating

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about bifurcation

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms & Antonyms for bifurcation

Synonyms

Antonyms

convergence

Examples of bifurcation in a Sentence

a thoughtful book about the nation's bifurcation into two distinct and antagonistic cultures a divisive issue that caused the bifurcation of the political party

Recent Examples on the Web This bifurcation was evident in your survey responses. — Lucinda Shen, Fortune, "67% of you made more in 2020 than in 2019," 18 Feb. 2021 In the ensuing months, a sharp — and for many, maddening — bifurcation took place as Covid-19 swept through the country in waves of mounting severity. — NBC News, "2020: A dismal economic year, unless you were on Wall Street," 31 Dec. 2020 Across the board, 17 percent say their income has already bounced back, but a deeper dive into the numbers shows a sharp bifurcation in this rebound, with the richest Americans seeing a quicker bounce-back. — NBC News, "Four in 10 households report lower income than pre-pandemic, threatening economic recovery," 9 Dec. 2020 The tide has been slowly shifting back away from car-centric modal bifurcation in cities worldwide. — Tom Vanderbilt, Wired, "The Pandemic Gives Us a Chance to Change How We Get Around," 2 Dec. 2020 This bifurcation suggests a widening of the gap in the U.S. housing market as homeowners or would-be buyers toward the bottom of the credit scale struggle to qualify for a loan. — Christopher Maloney, Bloomberg.com, "Mortgage Credit for Some Americans Drying Up Amid Supply Deluge," 15 Oct. 2020 This narrative bifurcation—aspirational sagas of upward black mobility pitched against lurid accounts of ghetto pathology—continues largely undisturbed in today’s cultural scene. — Adolph Reed Jr., The New Republic, "TV Race Fables and the Privilege of a Raging Class," 22 Sep. 2020 In February's Distance Insights report co-published by the USGA and R&A, the idea of bifurcation was again floated whereby professional golfers adhere to different rules and regulations to amateurs. — Tom Pilcher, CNN, "Why record-breaking drives could change golf as we know it," 17 Aug. 2020 This could cause a bifurcation, giving rise to separate dollar and yuan financial systems. — John Detrixhe, Quartz, "Hong Kong’s future as a financial hub is being torn between Washington and Beijing," 11 June 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bifurcation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about bifurcation

Dictionary Entries near bifurcation

bifurcate collateral

bifurcate merging

Statistics for bifurcation

Last Updated

26 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Bifurcation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bifurcation. Accessed 5 Mar. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster

Comments on bifurcation

What made you want to look up bifurcation? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

abhor

Listen to the pronunciation of abhor

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Who Knew?

What is a ruelle?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ

Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ