asynchronous

American  

[ey-sing-kruh-nuhs] / eɪˈsɪŋ krə nəs /

adjective

1. not occurring at the same time.

   The factory has two asynchronous production lines with end products paired in final assembly and shipped to buyers.

2. (especially in education) occurring or able to be completed independently according to a person’s own self-paced schedule or within a broad window of time, but not coordinated to be completed in real time with another participant.

   Distance learners may earn participation points by attending real-time video chats, or by posting messages and replies in asynchronous discussion boards.

3. Digital Technology. relating to or being a computer operation that can occur independently, without waiting for another event.

   Asynchronous responses are returned to the client side without blocking for the completion of the database processing request.

4. Computers, Telecommunications. of, relating to, or operating without the use of fixed-time intervals coordinated by a clock, as data transmitted one byte or character at a time.

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Usage

What does asynchronous mean? Asynchronous refers to something not occurring at the same time as another thing. The opposite of asynchronous is synchronous, which means “occurring at the same time” or “simultaneous.” A face-to-face conversation is considered synchronous, because people are communicating in real time, whereas corresponding over email and text message—where the recipient can respond at a later time—is asynchronous. Example: The server could only download updates for each game asynchronously, one after the other.

Other Word Forms

• asynchronously
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of asynchronous

First recorded in 1740–50; a- ⁶ + synchronous

Explanation

Events are asynchronous when they don't happen at the same time. If you pick up the crossword puzzle I started yesterday, we are working on it together but in an asynchronous fashion. Please do it in pencil. Asynchronous is the opposite of synchronous, which means happening at the same time. Think of “synchronous” as “in synch” and asynchronous as “out of synch.” If we're chatting on the phone, our communication is “synchronous.” We respond to each other immediately and when we hang up, the conversation's over. Email is asynchronous because we respond whenever it's convenient. In some cases this means never, which can be mighty convenient.

Example Sentences

Asynchronous work, or work that is done by teammates independently at different times, can be tricky.

From Washington Post • Sep. 9, 2022

Asynchronous online education was growing even before the pandemic.

From New York Times • May 27, 2022

Asynchronous class offerings are crucial for a variety of reasons, especially during the pandemic.

From Slate • Jan. 27, 2021

Asynchronous platforms—email, remote MRI interpretation, and the like—are considered experimental.

From Slate • Jun. 26, 2014

Asynchronous transmission allows a character to be sent at random after the preceding character has been sent, without regard to any timing device.

From The Online World by De Presno, Odd