Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dichotomous

/daɪˈkɑ.tə.məs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.31 in modern English

Syllables: di-choto-mous
IPA: /daɪˈkɑ.tə.məs/

19

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Dividing or branching into two mutually exclusive pieces.

Example Sentences

"Genus Riccia L. Plants are thalloid, forming rosettes or loose, dichotomous patches."
"The second half of the book switches to the increasingly dark story of how, from the 17th century onwards, European thinkers and politicians constructed a more and more dichotomous worldview."

Etymology

From Late Latin dichotomos, from Ancient Greek διχότομος (dikhótomos, “cut in half”). By surface analysis, dichotomy + -ous.

Origin

Source language: Ancient Greek

Word Breakdown

Root: *temh₁-, dichotomos, διχότομος

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /daɪˈkɑ.tə.məs/
British English: /daɪˈkɒt.ə.məs/

Derived Forms

dichotomously dichotomousness isodichotomous nondichotomous pseudodichotomous subdichotomous undichotomous

Phrases

dichotomous key

Frequently Paired Words

dichotomy

Synonyms

bipartite forked

Questions

How do you pronounce dichotomous?: The recorded pronunciation is /daɪˈkɑ.tə.məs/.
What does dichotomous mean?: Dividing or branching into two mutually exclusive pieces.
Where does dichotomous come from?: It is traced to Ancient Greek.

How to pronounce dichotomous

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “dichotomous”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/daɪˈkɑ.tə.məs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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