false dichotomy
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of false dichotomy
First recorded in 1870–75
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.
This is a false dichotomy, which Katie Miller knows all too well.
From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026
"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.
From BBC • Feb. 8, 2024
Despite how developers might want to frame it, it is a false dichotomy to suggest we can either have equitable tree distribution or affordable housing.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 14, 2023
The video cuts to explain that Anakin has just used a false dichotomy.
From Scientific American • Mar. 13, 2023
But calling Cal-Mex food anything but Mexican created a false dichotomy that has plagued it for the last couple of generations.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2022
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.
