Asymmetry

//eɪˈsɪmɪtɹi// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Absence of symmetry or proportion between the parts of a thing, or a distinction that produces such a lack of symmetry. countable, uncountable

    "Despite the generally symmetrical appearance of the two hemispheres, however, a number of biological asymmetries have been documented during the last hundred years."

  2. 2
    (mathematics) a lack of symmetry wordnet
  3. 3
    The lack of a common measure between two objects or quantities; incommensurability. countable, uncountable

Synonyms

All synonyms
ambiguityambivalenceanamorphismanamorphosisantinomybuckle

Example

More examples

"Did you know that, in French, one doesn't hear the difference between "the symmetry" and "the asymmetry"?"

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀσυμμετρία (asummetría), from ἀσύμμετρος (asúmmetros) + -ία (-ía), from ἀ- (a-) + σύμμετρος (súmmetros); equivalent to a- + symmetry.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.