bifurcated
Americanadjective
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divided or forked into two separate aspects or branches.
In Star Trek, Spock and Kirk together represent a bifurcated hero, with each character representing one aspect of the human condition.
The bifurcated fiber optic cable transmits light with half its fibers, while the other half act to detect reflected light.
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Law. (of a trial) occurring in two separate parts, often with determination of guilt in the first part and sentencing or awarding of damages in the second.
The same jury will usually hear both phases of a bifurcated trial.
verb
Etymology
Origin of bifurcated
First recorded in 1710–20; bifurcate ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; bifurcate ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Hindenburg Omen appears in a highly bifurcated market — one in which many stocks are hitting new 52-week highs while many others are at new lows.
From MarketWatch
She ran her hand along a diagram gouged into the stone: a planet, bifurcated.
From Literature
“We’ve got to find the middle ground that still allows us to innovate even if we produce in this bifurcated way,” he says.
“Do I just stop looking for a full-time job and continue on with contract work? Or do I continue to do this bifurcated approach?”
What Slok labels a “bifurcated economy” is a drag on overall U.S. growth.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
