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If you have an affiliation with a group or another person, you are officially involved or connected with them.
An aggregate is the final or sum total after many different amounts or scores have been added together.
When two or more things, such as organizations, amalgamate, they combine to become one large thing.
When something is bifurcated, such as a path, it is divided into two separate parts that fork off from each other.
If liquid coagulates, it becomes thick and solid.
If two or more things coalesce, they come together to form a single larger unit.
Two people concordant with each other are in agreement or harmony.
If you conflate two or more descriptions or ideas, you combine them in order to produce a single unit.
A confluence is a situation where two or more things meet or flow together at a single point or area; a confluence usually refers to two streams joining together.
The adjective conjugal refers to marriage or the relationship between two married people.
When someone is contentious, they are argumentative and likely to provoke a fight.
Someone who is contumacious is purposely stubborn, contrary, or disobedient.
A disaffected member of a group or organization is not satisfied with it; consequently, they feel little loyalty towards it.
A situation or thing that is discordant does not fit in with other things; therefore, it is disagreeable, strange, or unpleasant.
Things that are disparate are clearly different from each other and belong to different groups or classes.
A dissident is someone who disagrees publicly with a government, especially in a country where this is not allowed.
Dissolution is the breaking up or official end of a group, such as a couple or institution; it can also be the act of separating something into smaller components.
Something that is divisive is likely to cause arguments between people.
Empathy is the ability to understand how people feel because you can imagine what it is to be like them.
A small group or issue that is factious is controversial and promotes strong disagreement or dissatisfaction within a larger group.
A heretic is someone who does or believes things that oppose commonly or generally accepted beliefs.
Heterodox beliefs, ideas, or practices are different from accepted or official ones.
The word homogeneous is used to describe a group that has members or parts which are similar or are all of the same type.
An organization or system that is a monolith is extremely large; additionally, it is unwilling or very slow to change or adopt something new.
A polemic is a strong written or spoken statement that usually attacks or less often defends a particular idea, opinion, or belief.
Rapprochement is the development of greater understanding and friendliness between two countries or groups of people after a period of unfriendly relations.
Refractory people deliberately don’t obey someone in authority and so are difficult to deal with or control.
A schism causes a group or organization to divide into two groups as a result of differences in their aims and beliefs.
Sedition is the act of encouraging people to disobey and oppose the government currently in power.
Stasis is a state of little change over a long period of time.
If you are steadfast, you have a firm belief in your actions or opinions and refuse to give up or change them because you are certain that you are doing the right thing.
Noun
dichotomy
dahy-KOT-uh-mee
Context
The traits that separate or cause a dichotomy between creatures with vertebrae and those without are significant and marked. These two groups have different characteristics and needs, and the dichotomy or division between them has been studied by scientists who follow evolutionary adaptations. Many interesting species fall under the invertebrate category of this split or dichotomy, of which the oyster is a favorite of mine.
Quiz:Try again!
How does someone create a dichotomy?
Tom, Dick, and Harry The expression "every Tom, Dick, and Harry" would not be suitable for speaking about a "dichotomy" because that expression refers to people who are essentially the same, not entirely different.
Examples
This is an example of the dichotomy between the dreams and the reality that is Israel which has also troubled me during my subsequent visits and assignments in Israel and which trouble me far more today.
—
BNET
The exchange with Mitch revealed the underlying contradiction in Kobe’s attitude toward Shaquille, a symbol, in fact, of a much broader dichotomy in his psyche.
—
Sports Illustrated
'American Boy' is also the impossibly catchy theme to The Chris Isaak Show, his Showtime series, which revolves around yet another dichotomy: hunky rock star with girl trouble.
—
Rolling Stone
When two statements, ideas, or positions are presented as the only possible options, though in fact one or more other alternatives exist, this is a false dichotomy.
—
Newsvine
A dichotomy is a “cutting in two,” or to “cut” into “two” separate and distinct groups.
Word Theater
BBC: Not Only But Also There is a great dichotomy between these two teams.
The panel shows a small video clip of either the word in actual use or a scene that represents the meaning of a word. This not only breaks up the monotony of studying words but also provides another avenue to strengthen word meaning. Enjoy!
Word Constellation
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Related Words
bifurcate ·
contentious ·
contumacious ·
disaffected ·
discordant ·
disparate ·
dissident ·
dissolution ·
divisive ·
factious ·
heretic ·
heterodox ·
polemic ·
refractory ·
schism ·
sedition ·
affiliation ·
aggregate ·
amalgamate ·
coagulate ·
coalesce ·
concordant ·
conflate ·
confluence ·
conjugal ·
empathy ·
homogeneous ·
monolith ·
rapprochement ·
stasis ·
steadfast ·
Similar sense
Opposite sense
Word Variants
dichotomous
adj
→
of a division or difference between two things
The section lists important variants and alternate definitions of the headword. Knowing variants will often help you both remember and understand the word. Not all variants are listed - only the ones we think that are important for you to know.
