what does Dichotomy mean?

A dichotomy is the opposite of a spectrum. In a spectrum (or a continuum) there is a whole range of truths and variation to that truth, from one extreme to another. Like the colors of a rainbow. If I asked you what your favorite color was, you could tell me any number of possibilities, any one of them could be true. Maybe even you have two favorites, or two colors you adore very much.

A dichotomy has only two possible truths. One side or the other. No overlap. No variation. They dont have to be contradictory or mutually exclusive truths, necessarily, but they cannot both be true simultaneously. They are mutually exclusive possibilities.

See the link below to know the meaning of dichotomy.

it means two ideas where each idea is a complete contradiction of the other, so if a scientist says that his fuel additive decreases fuel consumption, and another scientist says that it makes it worse or at best makes no differences, then there is a dichotomy, because the views of the scientists totally exclude each other.

Somtimes i use dictionary.com for defintiions instead of wikipedia - it is better for that sort of thing.