Shawn Manaher

There are a lot of words that are used in the English language that we may not truly understand the meaning of. Sometimes even when we know what their meaning is we may not know how to properly use it in our writing. An example of this is the word “dichotomy.” The word dichotomy is used in explaining that there's a division or contrast represented by two things. So when you choose to use this word in a sentence you're explaining that this division exists or that these things are different from one another in some important way. Definition of the Word “Dichotomy” “Dichotomy” is a noun that means to divide something into two parts, kinds, etc. It’s a subdivision into pairs. These two groups are mutually exclusive, opposed to, or contradict one another. For instance, someone may be said to have a dichotomy between thought and action. This is a word that you’ll frequently run into whenever you’re discussing science. This is especially true in botany where it refers to a type of branching whereby forking occurs in a plants’ stems or leaves and in astronomy where it has to do with the phase of the moon in regard to an inferior planet whereby only half of the planet is visible. Simply put, a “dichotomy” is when you’re contrasting two things. For instance, if you have two ideas, especially two ideas that are opposed to each other (e.g. war and peace, love and hate), you have a “dichotomy.” Sometimes you may hear about something that’s known as a “false dichotomy.” This term is used to describe a situation that occurs wherein something is unfairly represented as an “either/or” situation. For instance, someone may make a “false dichotomy” by saying that “All cars are either small and efficient or large and polluting.” This is said to create a “false dichotomy” because there are some cars that are big and efficient and others that are small and polluting. In other words, some cars don’t fit into either one of the categories that were mentioned here. What “dichotomy” doesn’t mean is agreement, harmony, sameness, or likeness. However, it does mean the same as the words contradiction, incongruity, paradox, and duality. The Etymology of the Word “Dichotomy” You can find the word “dichotomy” rooted in the Greek language. Here it stems from the Greek word “dikhotomia” which means "a cutting in hal.” The word “dikhotomia” itself is composed of two words: “dikha” meaning “in two, asunder” (a word that’s also related to “dis” meaning “twice” or “two”) and the word “temnein” meaning “to cut” (a word that stems from “tem” meaning “to cut”). The word “dichotomy” dates back to circa 1600 when it was first used in the English language. Here it was used in the field of botany to mean "a cutting in two, division into two classes." However, it wasn’t until the 1630s that this word really started to be used more frequently throughout the English language. At that time the word “dichotomy” had its definition broadened. It came to mean "state of having a dual arrangement or order." “Dichotomy” in the Sciences Dichotomy is a term that’s commonly used in the sciences. There are a lot of different branches of science it applies to. Understanding the meaning of this word in these applications is also useful. “Dichotomy” in Botany Whenever botanists are discussing a “dichotomy,” they’re discussing the division of a genus into two species or subordinate plants. In other words, the plan itself is forking into two equal branches. There are many different reasons as to why this might happen. For instance, a “dichotomy” may be the result of the growing tip equally dividing itself in half or it may be that there’s been a sympodial (what occurs whenever the growing tip is aborted then replaced with a new growing tip). In this regard, a “dichotomy” will usually have to do with the way in which a branch is growing. However, there are also instances in which the word “dichotomy” is used in reference to a plant’s other organs (e.g. leaves’ venation patterns, thorns on a branch, the roots or branching filaments of different types of algae and fungi). “Dichotomy” in Astronomy The word “dichotomy” is also used in the study of astronomy. Here it’s used in reference to the moon’s phase that makes it look as though it’s half-lit and half dark when you look at it through a telescope. This is a phase that can occur up to a week after Venus reaches its maximum elongation point. “Dichotomy” in Psychology When you’re discussing a “dichotomy” in psychology you’re discussing a set that must be partitioned into subsets. For this to happen the parts must be both jointly exhaustive (everything must belong to one part or the other) and mutually exclusive (nothing can belong to both parts at the same time). Sometimes this is referred to as a “bipartition.” Regardless of what you call it, once it’s formed the two parts complement one another. Understanding the Difference Between True and False “Dichotomy” When someone says they have a “false dichotomy” what they’re actually saying is that the two items or items are antonyms - they mean the exact opposite of one another even though this isn’t the case at all. For instance, there’s a common saying, “You’re either for me or against me.” Depending on the circumstances there might not even be a logical reason for this to be true. Theoretically, you should be able to be neutral too. However, when someone sets the choice up in this way a false “dichotomy” is created because an incorrect assumption has been made. This assumption either needs to be corrected or you’ll need to finish the argument since there’s no longer a practical application present. On the other hand, it’s possible to have what’s known as a “true dichotomy.” An example of this would be the statement that the earth is made of two hemispheres - the north and the south. Here it’s true that both of these hemispheres are different. This isn’t something you need to give much thought to. Usually, we hear more about a false “dichotomy” than we hear about a true “dichotomy.” This is because there’s controversy surrounding a false “dichotomy” since they attempt to make a false equivalence. Typically this is done by comparing two things that it’s inappropriate to compare. For instance, in the time leading up to elections in the U.S., you’ll often hear voters state that they’re voting for the lesser of two evils when they’re saying that they’re unable to decide who to vote for even though the two candidates are quite different. When someone creates a false “dichotomy” they’re actually intervening in how language behaves. Language on its own exists to be both clear and understandable. This doesn’t happen when people start lying about stuff that doesn’t make sense simply because it suits their agenda to do so. When people do this they start to look like they can’t be trusted or that they have ill intentions. There are two very important assumptions that may be made by a false “dichotomy.” These are the premises on which an argument begins. They are: The two options must be collectively exhaustive. This means that they cover all possibilities. When there’s a false “dichotomy” the two options are shown as collectively exhaustive when this isn’t true since alternate possibilities do exist, they’re just being ignored. The two options must be mutually exclusive. This means that they can’t both be true at the same time. When there’s a false “dichotomy” the two options are shown as mutually exhaustive when they both could actually be true at the same time. Example Sentences Using the Word “Dichotomy” “Dichotomy” is a word with many uses, all of which have similar meanings. Now that you have a better understanding of this word, here’s some help for using it in sentences: There’s an alleged dichotomy found in some of this information. There’s a fascinating dichotomy that exists between small-town gossips and their newspapers. When I manage to organize my thoughts I’ll probably have more to say about this dichotomy. There’s a dichotomy that exists between the type of education you’ll get from a public and a private school. There’s a major dichotomy between those who are born into a religion and those who actually practice it. There’s a strange dichotomy between those who feel trapped in a city and those who feel liberated by it. There’s an interesting dichotomy created by this disparity. Conclusion There are a lot of different ways in which the word dichotomy is used today. The circumstances under which this word is being used will have a lot to do with determining its definition. In the simplest sense, the word is used when you want to explain that there’s a division or contrast being represented by two things. When you’re using the word in a sentence you do so to explain the existence and the importance of such a division.