bifurcate

[bahy-fer-keyt, bahy-fur-keyt, bahy-fer-kit, bahy-fur-]

verb (used with or without object)

bifurcated, bifurcating 

1. to divide or fork into two branches.

adjective

1. divided into two branches.

bifurcate

verb

1. to fork or divide into two parts or branches

adjective

1. forked or divided into two sections or branches

bifurcate

1. Forked or divided into two parts or branches, as the Y-shaped styles of certain flowers or the tongues of snakes.

Other Word Forms

• bifurcately adverb
• bifurcation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bifurcate¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Medieval Latin bifurcātus “forked in two,” past participle of bifurcāre “to fork in two,” from bi- bi- ¹ ( def. ) + furc(a) fork ( def. ) + -āre, infinitive verb suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of bifurcate¹

C17: from Medieval Latin bifurcātus , from Latin bifurcus , from _bi- ¹ + furca fork

Example Sentences

"When you peel back the layers of the onion, it's clear that we have a very bifurcated consumer," he said.

From BBC

For all the movie’s crisp attention to bifurcated lives, “The History of Sound” more aptly resembles a painstakingly dry still life than a moving picture.

From Los Angeles Times

In addition to her bifurcated professional duties, Soni is the mother of two children, ages 4 and 7.

From Los Angeles Times

They had the divorce bifurcated, separating the marriage itself from other contentious issues in the split such as child custody and splitting of assets, and were declared legally single in 2019.

From Los Angeles Times

Health workers use a so-called bifurcated needle that’s dipped into the vaccine solution, the same way the smallpox vaccine was administered.

From Science Magazine

When To Use

What does bifurcate mean?

Birfurcate means to divide or fork into two branches.Things can bifurcate on their own or in an otherwise passive way, as in That’s where the river bifurcates into two branches, or they can be bifurcated by someone, as in We bifurcated the road into two lanes so more people could exit at once. The word bifurcate can be used as an adjective meaning divided into two branches, but the adjective bifurcated is more commonly used in this way. The word bifurcation refers to the act of bifurcating or something that is bifurcated. These terms are most often used in technical and scientific contexts, such as engineering and medicine.Example: The hiking trail bifurcates about three miles in, so make sure you go down the left branch.