bifurcation

noun

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

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

Synonyms

• divarication
• divergence
• divergency
• separation

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

Many rivers have natural bifurcations, where the branch later returns to the main river after some distance, such as a braided river or delta. —Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025

The bifurcation between property-haves and property-have nots has substantially worsened since the crisis. —Sahil Mahtani, Foreign Affairs, 20 Nov. 2017

This proactive approach has resulted in a bifurcation of the industry into two distinct camps: those focused on infrastructure and those prioritizing applications. —Vivian Toh, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025

An ongoing theme of the post-pandemic recovery has been a widening bifurcation of American household finances. —Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see bifurcate

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for bifurcation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation