How to Use dichotomous in a Sentence

dichotomous

adjective
  • At work, dichotomous thinkers might view their jobs and abilities in a rigid way.
    — Erica Sweeney, Men's Health, 26 Jan. 2023
  • Mann poses the wizard and the prophet as dichotomous endpoints.
    — Mary Ellen Hannibal, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Jan. 2018
  • In dichotomous thinking like this, a single exception can tip a person’s view to one side.
    — Jeremy P. Shapiro, The Conversation, 2 May 2023
  • For me and many like me, the gamut of our decision-making is not dichotomous – to have a baby or not have a baby.
    — Kwentoria A. Williams, Essence, 11 Apr. 2022
  • The two story-strands come together midway in a scene that captures the book’s dichotomous mood.
    — Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 31 Dec. 2020
  • That dichotomous talent has opened dozens of doors for him, but Chalamet always comes across as warm and alive.
    — EW.com, 18 Feb. 2024
  • This doesn’t really represent a dichotomous shift from a black to white, A to B, or yes to no.
    — Jill Sanford, Outside Online, 13 June 2018
  • The dichotomous reaction to Sam Read-Graves’ morally heavy game is a win-win.
    — Matt Gardner, Forbes, 15 July 2022
  • That mistake is the cognitive error known as black-and-white thinking, also called dichotomous and all-or-none thinking.
    — Jeremy P. Shapiro, The Conversation, 2 May 2023
  • Being proactive and reactive aren't dichotomous choices, by the way.
    — Eugene Litvak, Forbes, 1 June 2021
  • The concept exists on a spectrum, and the two aren't dichotomous but interconnected.
    — Scottie Andrew, Josiah Ryan and Caroline Kelly, CNN, 14 Apr. 2021
  • None of the six is strictly dichotomous, Jordan-Young said, and the different markers don’t always align.
    — Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2022
  • Transracial adoption is often understood in dichotomous terms – a fairy tale or nightmare, an act of grace or, in one of the most extreme takes, a form of genocide.
    — Sara Miller Llana, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Dec. 2020
  • Their lives become a reflection of the dichotomous belief that love is extremely dangerous and the only thing that matters.
    — Remy Ramirez, Marie Claire, 9 Apr. 2021
  • These pervasive conundrums all seemingly suggest that we at times are faced with a dichotomous situation and need to choose one facet or the other.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 21 June 2022
  • The lilac’s blooms are dichotomous, both quietly delicate and also boisterous with a showstopping flair.
    — Emily Leahy, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
  • Here’s the next set of questions, which are drawn from research on dichotomous thinking by psychologist Atsushi Oshio.
    — Shlomo Benartzi, WSJ, 20 May 2022
  • While the conversation has become dichotomous and polarized, with each side blindly defending its ground, there’s a deeper debate to be had about the issue.
    — Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 2 June 2022
  • In that context, McElroy’s case has engendered a predictably dichotomous response.
    — Jack Stripling, Washington Post, 14 July 2023
  • Bartos responded to the film’s dichotomous nature, creating a soundtrack that elevates both aspects.
    — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 9 Feb. 2024
  • What scholars like Anzaldúa and Morales explore is the complex dichotomous split placed under patriarchy that the Spaniards furthered.
    — Sarah Quiñones Wolfson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2023
  • Balancing dichotomous opinions on prairie dogs and public land is a taxing job for federal officials, one that requires dedication.
    — Ula Chrobak, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2021
  • But suggesting that hackers and feds are dichotomous and dissimilar doesn’t reflect reality.
    — Sarah Scoles, Wired, 6 Aug. 2020
  • The music of 1984 is a definite dual, dichotomous reflection of the need for expression and escape.
    — Spin Staff, SPIN, 30 Sep. 2024
  • The world’s most stylish took a dichotomous approach to the sticky situation, choosing clothes of either such full and waft-y proportions as to barely touch the body, or dresses so tiny as to have barely anything to touch.
    — Edward Barsamian, Vogue, 9 July 2018
  • From differences in costuming to the dichotomous emphases in training and style of movement, classical ballet epitomizes the gender binary at its most rigid.
    — oregonlive, 4 June 2022
  • Sinema included photos of herself, one in a Barbie-pink dress and the other a black-and-white image of her serious expression, to mimic the movies’ dichotomous styles.
    — USA TODAY, 20 July 2023
  • Priscilla Hayner, a scholar of commissions, takes issue with the dichotomous presentation of focusing on the past versus moving on.
    — Grant Tudor, The New Republic, 28 Nov. 2022
  • The steampunk grandeur of the lobby at the Pearl’s Hotel Emma, dressed in the dichotomous trappings of old industrial majesty, hides luxury in plain sight.
    — Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, 10 Mar. 2022
  • New data from an upcoming paper that studies tornadoes through 2022 shows that this dichotomous trend is continuing, Trapp said.
    — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 13 May 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dichotomous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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