false dichotomy

[fawls dahy-kot-uh-mee]

noun

1. a logical fallacy in which a spectrum of possible options is misrepresented as an either-or choice between two mutually exclusive things.

Word History and Origins

Origin of false dichotomy¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Second, false dichotomy is actively employed.

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Wething told Salon that “school choice” is a “false dichotomy” for many students in low-income neighborhoods or rural areas, who don’t have access to charter or private school options anyway.

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Perhaps if he spent more time studying and less time bashing students, he would know that this is what logicians call a false dichotomy.

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But this approach creates a false dichotomy between “big” and “small” business that misunderstands the way the startup ecosystem works.

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"Delhi's incredibly rich past has contributed to its evolution as a unique city. To pitch it against progress or development is a false dichotomy," says historian Sohail Hashmi.

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