bivalence: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, academic, technical
Quick answer
What does “bivalence” mean?
The quality or state of having two possible values, outcomes, or meanings.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The quality or state of having two possible values, outcomes, or meanings.
In logic and philosophy, the principle that every proposition is either true or false, with no third option; more broadly, any system or situation characterised by duality or a binary opposition.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage; spelling is identical.
Connotations
Highly specialised term with identical connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general discourse in both regions, confined almost exclusively to academic/technical writing.
Grammar
How to Use “bivalence” in a Sentence
[The] bivalence of [a proposition/system]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bivalence” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The bivalent logic system is foundational.
- He took a bivalent approach to the classification.
American English
- The bivalent logic system is foundational.
- She advocated for a bivalent framework.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Core term in formal logic and philosophy; used in papers discussing truth values, propositional logic, and semantic theory.
Everyday
Not used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Used in theoretical computer science (e.g., bivalent states in consensus algorithms) and some branches of linguistics (semantics).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bivalence”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bivalence”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bivalence”
- Misspelling as 'bivalance'.
- Using it as a synonym for simple 'duality' or 'ambiguity' outside its strict logical sense.
- Pronouncing the 'i' as short /ɪ/ instead of long /aɪ/.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is the logical principle that every declarative statement expressing a proposition is either true or false, with no third truth-value (like 'neither' or 'both').
They are closely related. 'Binary' refers more generally to any system with two parts. 'Bivalence' is a specific philosophical/logical term describing the property of having exactly two truth values.
A simple statement like 'The door is closed' is bivalent in classical thinking—it is objectively either true or false in a given context, assuming clear definitions.
Multivalence or polyvalence, where a system allows for more than two truth values or states (e.g., true, false, and unknown).
The quality or state of having two possible values, outcomes, or meanings.
Bivalence is usually formal, academic, technical in register.
Bivalence: in British English it is pronounced /baɪˈveɪləns/, and in American English it is pronounced /baɪˈveɪləns/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'BI-valence' – BI means TWO (like bicycle), and valence relates to VALUE. So, 'two-valued-ness'.
Conceptual Metaphor
TRUTH IS A SWITCH (either ON/TRUE or OFF/FALSE).
Practice
Quiz
Which field is the term 'bivalence' most closely associated with?