dualistic

[ doo-uh-lis-tik, dyoo- ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or of the nature of dualism.
2. dual; twofold.

Other Words From

• dual·isti·cal·ly adverb
• nondu·al·istic adjective
• nondu·al·isti·cal·ly adverb
• undu·al·istic adjective
• undu·al·isti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of dualistic¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; dual + -istic

Example Sentences

How did you approach playing such a complicated, dualistic guy?

From Los Angeles Times

He first began overseeing the case in 2020, and over the months, a dualistic approach emerged: He was solicitous in the courtroom and scathing in written decisions.

From Seattle Times

I had been raised in the tradition of so-called serious fiction, taking to heart Graham Greene’s dualistic breakdown of his own work into “novels” and “entertainments.”

From Los Angeles Times

And so I’m just kind of a dualistic character, and I think if you put them together, that’s, like, my ideal self.

From Los Angeles Times

“A demonized concept of the enemy is being constructed, the worldview becomes dualistic — ‘we’ and ‘they,’ “ Faessler said. “‘They’ want to destroy us.

From Washington Post