1. a system of thought or classification that divides things into two opposed or contrasting categories
Usage: often used in academic and critical theory contexts; frequently appears in discussions of gender, philosophy, and social structures
2. the tendency to view the world in terms of binary oppositions, such as male/female, nature/culture, or self/other
Usage: critical theory and gender studies

Examples

• Critics argue that binarism in gender categories fails to account for non-binary identities.
• The philosopher challenged the binarism of mind and body that had dominated Western thought.
• Postcolonial theory often examines how binarism structures the relationship between colonizer and colonized.
• Rejecting binarism allows for more nuanced understanding of complex social phenomena.
• The text deconstructs the binarism of civilization versus nature.
• Binarism in language can reinforce limiting social hierarchies.