polychotomous

adjective

poly·chot·o·mous ˌpä-lē-ˈkä-tə-məs

: dividing or marked by division into many parts, branches, or classes

polychotomy

ˌpä-lē-ˈkä-tə-mē

noun

Word History

Etymology

poly- + -chotomous (as in dichotomous)

First Known Use

circa 1858, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of polychotomous was circa 1858

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

polychord

polychotomous

polychotomous key

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Polychotomous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polychotomous. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

desultory

Listen to the pronunciation of desultory

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Should that word have a hyphen?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Popular in Wordplay

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

Popular

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World