bipartite
Americanadjective
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divided into or consisting of two parts.
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Law. being in two corresponding parts.
a bipartite contract.
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shared by two; joint.
a bipartite pact; bipartite rule.
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Botany. divided into two parts nearly to the base, as a leaf.
adjective
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consisting of or having two parts
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affecting or made by two parties; bilateral
a bipartite agreement
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botany (esp of some leaves) divided into two parts almost to the base
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bipartite
1500–10; < Latin bipartītus divided into two parts, bisected (past participle of bipartīre ). See bi- 1, part, -ite 2
Explanation
Anything bipartite has two parts or features. A bipartite agreement has two elements. Words starting with bi usually involve two things, and that's the very definition of this word: things that have two parts are bipartite. It's often used (in botany, for example) to describe two-part things joined at the base, like leaves. An animal’s hoof that has two halves is bipartite. For abstract things, the word usually suggests entirely separate parts forming a single thing: bipartite agreements/rules/legislatures. If something has three parts instead of two, it's tripartite.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He did not say whether he believed his previous kneecap condition — Ohtani underwent surgery in 2019 to address the bipartite patella in his left knee — was connected.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
As a result, athletes have been able to return to FIS competitions and the 10 athletes have been awarded bipartite commission invitations to compete at the Paralympics.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026
This circumstance owes to the drama’s peculiar, bipartite structure.
From New York Times ● Oct. 9, 2018
Acta began its life in 2006, as part of a bipartite conversation between the US and Japan.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 5, 2012
Keats's sonnets are for the most part regular in both rime-scheme and bipartite structure; but a number of the posthumous sonnets are in the English form.
From English Verse Specimens Illustrating its Principles and History by Raymond MacDonald Alden
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
