noun

bifurcation

by-fer-KAY-shuhn

Bifurcation (noun) means the splitting of something into two branches or parts, or the point at which that split happens. Example: “Follow the path to the bifurcation and take the left branch.”

noun

The splitting of something into two branches or parts, or the point at which that split happens.

"Follow the path to the bifurcation and take the left branch."

"The surgeon located the bifurcation of the artery."

technical In law, the division of a trial or dispute into separate stages that are heard one after the other.

"The judge ordered bifurcation so that liability would be decided before damages."

technical In mathematics and physics, a sudden qualitative change in the behaviour of a system as one of its parameters passes a critical value.

"The model shows a bifurcation once the growth rate exceeds three."

How to Use Bifurcation

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA point where one thing divides into two.

When to use it

Formal or technical; in everyday speech people usually say fork or split.

Memory tip

The verb is bifurcate: the road bifurcates at the bridge.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

trifurcation divergence

Common pairings

bifurcation point carotid bifurcation bifurcation of the trial

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Can you complete this real example?

Follow the path to the _____ and take the left branch.

Etymology

From Latin bifurcus, meaning two-pronged, from bi- meaning two and furca meaning fork.

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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fork division split branching divergence

Antonyms

convergence merger

Related Words

part class department section river difference county broken

Rhymes for bifurcation

region billion ablation allusion emulsion ideation novation abortion abrasion diffusion elocution extension

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between bifurcation and divergence?

Bifurcation names the structural split itself, the single point where one thing becomes two. Divergence describes the process of two things moving apart afterwards. A river bifurcates at a fork, and its two channels then diverge across the plain.

Where is the word bifurcation used most?

It is most common in anatomy for branching arteries and airways, in law for trials split into stages, and in mathematics for sudden changes in a system's behaviour. In ordinary writing, fork or split is usually clearer.

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