noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌfɔːls daɪˈkɒtəmi/
Received-Pronunciation:/fɒls-/
Received-Pronunciation:/dɪ-/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˌfɔls daɪˈkɑtəmi/
General-American:/fɑls-/
General-American:[-ɾə-]
rhymes with -ɒtəmi
1
noun
Meaning 1
A branching in which the main axis appears to divide dichotomously at the apex but is in reality suppressed, the growth being continued by lateral branches (as in the dichasium).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rhetoric
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fallacy of the excluded middle, false dilemma
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From false + dichotomy.
Across languages
Translations
19 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
vals dichotomie
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
Arabic:
مأزق مفتعل
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
Belarusian:
ілжывая дыхатамія
(ilžyvaja dyxatamija)
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
Chinese Mandarin:
假兩難推理 /假两难推理
(jiǎliǎngnántuīlǐ)
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
Finnish:
väärä dikotomia
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
Finnish:
väärä kahtiajako
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
French:
fausse dichotomie
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
French:
faux dilemme
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
German:
falsche Dichotomie
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
Italian:
falsa dicotomia
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
Japanese:
誤った二分法
(ayamattanibunhō)
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
Korean:
거짓 이분법
(geojit ibunbeop)
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
Lithuanian:
netikrasis pasirinkimas
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
Persian:
دوگانه جعلی
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
Portuguese:
falsa dicotomia
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
Russian:
ло́жная дихотомия
(lóžnaja dixotomija)
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
Swedish:
falsk dikotomi
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
Thai:
ทวิบถเท็จ
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
Turkish:
yanlış ikilem
— situation in which two alternative points of view are presented as the only options, when others are available
