bifurcation

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

Updated on: 19 May 2018

1 a : 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

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 of bifurcation from the Web

This bifurcation between domestic and foreign monetary policy lacked the discipline of a true gold standard that existed before World War I, dooming the Bretton Woods agreement to failure from the very beginning.

— WSJ, "Friedman vs. Mundell on Monetary Reform," 6 Apr. 2018
Connecticut is, like California, in the vanguard of progressive blue states marching toward absolute bifurcation of residents living in prosperity or poverty.

— WSJ, "Election Costs: Least of Connecticut’s Worries," 16 Apr. 2018
The volume hinted at the shape of a skirt, but the bifurcation of the pant legs aided cycling.

— christine ro, The Atlantic, "How Cycling Clothing Opened Doors for Women," 15 Apr. 2018
But that is an artificial bifurcation in a country torn by violence on all sides.

— peter baker, New York Times, "‘Mission Accomplished!’ But What Is the Mission in Syria?," 14 Apr. 2018
But that is an artificial bifurcation in a country torn by violence on all sides.

— peter baker, BostonGlobe.com, "‘Mission accomplished,’ but what is the mission?," 14 Apr. 2018
There has been a sharp bifurcation of the right-of-center media.

— jeet heer, New Republic, "The Lively Irrelevance of Conservative Magazines," 30 Jan. 2018
With the constant disruptions in media, maybe this bifurcation is only natural.

— ana veciana-suarez, miamiherald, "The great literary debate: print or e-reader? | Miami Herald," 19 Mar. 2018
The rib story was ready a bifurcation of Adam into separate male and female entities.

— rabbi avi weiss, Jewish Journal, "Weiss: Sacrificial lessons from the word 'adam'," 12 Mar. 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of bifurcation

see bifurcate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1615

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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bifurcation Synonyms

Phrases

parting of the ways;

Other Biology Terms

autochthonous, fecund, homunculus, phylogeny, substrate

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bifurcation Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bifurcation

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