Dichotomy
daɪˈkɒtəmi
noun
a division or contrast between two things that are represented as being opposed or entirely different
The word 'dichotomy' comes from the Greek word 'dichotomia,' meaning 'divided in two.' It is often used to describe situations where two opposing ideas or entities are sharply contrasted or divided.
See how Stephen King and Frank Herbert use "dichotomy", with its meaning, pronunciation and real book examples.
Examples from books
He had told his tale without much emotion, although his voice had trembled near the end, when he had come to the part about the “priest” and the “Act of Contrition.” He had not, of course, told the gunslinger about his family and his own sense of bewildered dichotomy, but that had seeped through anyway — enough had seeped through to make out its shape.
Stephen King
The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, Book 1)
Lucilla recognized the dichotomy in him.
Frank Herbert
Heretics of Dune
