bifurcation

1 a movement in different directions away from a common point a thoughtful book about the nation's bifurcation into two distinct and antagonistic cultures Synonyms divergence, divarication, divergency, separationRelated Words difference, disagreement, discrepancy, disparateness, disparity, dissidence, dissimilarity, distinction, distinctiveness, distinctness, diversity, unlikenessNear Antonyms accord, agreement; likeness, similarityAntonyms convergence

2 the act or process of a whole separating into two or more parts or pieces a divisive issue that caused the bifurcation of the political party Synonyms separation, breakup, cleavage, dissolution, disunion, division, fractionalization, fractionation, partition, schism, scission, split, sunderingRelated Words breach, rupture; divorce, severance; decomposition, disassembly, dismemberment, segmentation, subdivision; atomization, dichotomization, polarization; diffusion, dispersal, dispersion, scattering; administration, apportionment, distribution; isolation, seclusion, segregation, sequestrationNear Antonyms assemblage, association; attachment, conjunction, connection, link, linkage, linkup; aggregation, combination, consolidation, fusionAntonyms unification, union