bifurcation
noun
bi·fur·ca·tion
| \ ˌbī-(ˌ)fər-ˈkā-shən
\
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Definition of bifurcation
1a
: 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
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Synonyms & Antonyms for bifurcation
Synonyms
divarication, divergence, divergency, separation
Antonyms
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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
The Huawei fallout could lead to the bifurcation of global markets into two incompatible 5G camps (see map). — The Economist, "SecurityCompanies must get ready for a riskier world," 11 July 2019 Google’s Eric Schmidt has spoken about a bifurcation between a Chinese and non-Chinese internet (the latter led by the US). — Justin Sherman, WIRED, "Russia and Iran Plan to Fundamentally Isolate the Internet," 6 June 2019 Judge Chhabria said that while a bifurcation order in court trials is unusual and should be granted with caution, it was warranted in this case. — Donato Paolo Mancini, WSJ, "Bayer Shares Jump After Monsanto Weedkillers Court Ruling," 4 Jan. 2019 Long-term bifurcation of wealth has helped some U.S. retailers that cater to low-income shoppers face off against Amazon.com Inc. with fewer bruises because those households are less likely to shop online. — Khadeeja Safdar, WSJ, "Store Traffic Falls Again on Black Friday but Not All News Is Bad," 25 Nov. 2018 The bifurcation of the global economy has pocketbook consequences for ordinary workers. — Georgi Kantchev, WSJ, "The Problem With Innovation: The Biggest Companies Are Hogging All the Gains," 15 July 2018 This bifurcation of the media poses a challenge for all tech platforms, not just YouTube, that resist taking a stand on what constitutes truth. — Issie Lapowsky, WIRED, "YouTube Debuts Plan to Promote and Fund 'Authoritative' News," 9 July 2018 This bifurcation between domestic and foreign monetary policy lacked the discipline of a true gold standard that existed before World War I, dooming the Bretton Woods agreement to failure from the very beginning. — WSJ, "Friedman vs. Mundell on Monetary Reform," 6 Apr. 2018 Connecticut is, like California, in the vanguard of progressive blue states marching toward absolute bifurcation of residents living in prosperity or poverty. — WSJ, "Election Costs: Least of Connecticut’s Worries," 16 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bifurcation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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