1. the quality or state of having two values, meanings, or interpretations
Usage: formal; often used in logic, philosophy, and linguistics
2. in logic, the principle that every proposition is either true or false, with no third option
Usage: technical; philosophy and logic
3. in chemistry, the capacity of an atom or radical to form two bonds
Usage: technical; chemistry

Examples

• The bivalence of the word 'bank' makes it useful in poetry and wordplay.
• Classical logic relies on the principle of bivalence to determine truth values.
• Oxygen exhibits bivalence in most of its chemical compounds.
• The bivalence of human emotions often makes them difficult to categorize simply.
• In formal logic, bivalence assumes that every statement must be either true or false.
• The bivalence of certain symbols in art allows them to carry multiple meanings.