butterfly effect

American  

noun

1. a cumulatively large effect that a very small natural force may produce over a period of time.

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butterfly effect British  

noun

1. the idea, used in chaos theory, that a very small difference in the initial state of a physical system can make a significant difference to the state at some later time

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butterfly effect Scientific  

/ bŭt′ər-flī′ /

1. A phenomenon in which a small perturbation in the initial condition of a system results in large changes in later conditions. Such phenomena are common in complex dynamical systems and are studied in chaos theory.

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Usage

What does butterfly effect mean? The butterfly effect is the idea that small events can have a large, unpredictable influence on the future. How is butterfly effect pronounced?[ buht-er-flahy ih-fekt ] What are some other words related to butterfly effect?

• chaos theory
• fractals
• domino effect
• snowball
• divergence

Etymology

Origin of butterfly effect

First recorded in 1980–85; so called from the notion that the fluttering of a butterfly's wings may set off currents that will grow into a large storm

Example Sentences

Manus, created by startup Butterfly Effect, can sift through and summarise resumes or create a stock analysis website, according to its website.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

Manus, created by startup Butterfly Effect, can sift through and summarise resumes or create a stock analysis website, according to its website.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

Early versions of Manus were created by engineers at Beijing Butterfly Effect Technology, which was founded in China in 2022.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

Chinese regulators are considering potential penalties against Beijing Butterfly Effect Technology and key Manus executives, the people familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Xiao set up Manus’s parent, Butterfly Effect, in 2022 and launched a ChatGPT-powered application for browsers, called Monica.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025