Dichotomize
/daɪˈkɒt.ə.maɪz/noun
To divide something into two parts or branches.
Did you know?Its root comes from Greek *dikhotomia*, a term for dividing something into two parts, and that same ancient *dicha-* root also lives in words about being split or separate.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
dikhotomia
“a cutting in two; division into two parts”
Late Greek
Greek
dikhotomizein
“to cut in two; to divide into two parts”
Late Latin
Latin
dichotomizare
“to divide into two parts”
16th-17th Century
English
dichotomize
“to divide into two parts, especially in logic or classification”
Modern English
English
dichotomize
“to split or classify into two opposing groups or branches”