bifurcated

[bahy-fer-key-tid, bahy-fur-]

adjective

1. divided or forked into two separate aspects or branches.

   In Star Trek, Spock and Kirk together represent a bifurcated hero, with each character representing one aspect of the human condition.

   The bifurcated fiber optic cable transmits light with half its fibers, while the other half act to detect reflected light.

2. Law.,  (of a trial) occurring in two separate parts, often with determination of guilt in the first part and sentencing or awarding of damages in the second.

   The same jury will usually hear both phases of a bifurcated trial.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of bifurcate.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bifurcated¹

First recorded in 1710–20; bifurcate ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; bifurcate ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

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