congruity

American  

[kuhn-groo-i-tee, kon-, kuhng-, kong-] / kənˈgru ɪ ti, kɒn-, kəŋ-, kɒŋ- /

noun

plural

congruities

1. the state or quality of being congruous; harmony; appropriateness.

   a congruity of ideas.

2. the state or quality of being geometrically congruent.

3. a point of agreement.

4. Scholasticism. merit bestowed as a divine gift rather than earned.

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Other Word Forms

• noncongruity noun

Etymology

Origin of congruity

1350–1400; Middle English congruite < Middle French < Late Latin congruitāt- (stem of congruitās ), equivalent to Latin congru ( us ) congruous + -itāt- -ity

Explanation

Congruity is a quality of agreement and appropriateness. When there's congruity, things fit together in a way that makes sense. If a team has congruity, the players work together well, even if they don’t win. The word congruity is from the Old French congruité for "relevance and appropriateness." Students reading quietly in a library is an example of congruity. A clown juggling fire in a library would be an incongruity, which is when things don't fit together. A well-decorated room, where the colors complement each other, has congruity. Wearing a tuxedo to a classical music concert shows congruity: wearing a tux to a heavy metal concert would not.

Example Sentences

It was a congruity that called out for someone to remark upon, and Sullivan was just that person.

From Washington Post • Jul. 28, 2021

People nest within like-minded social networks and then get social credit by amplifying their congruity.

From Slate • Dec. 1, 2016

In clear, declarative prose, it dips readers’ toes into stereotype threat and confirmation bias, role congruity theory, cortisol and stress studies and prospect theory.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 5, 2016

Conceptual congruity doesn’t matter much when you’re just trying to snag some cultural cachet with a decent party.

From The Verge • Jan. 7, 2016

Into his lips is put, with a fine disregard of congruity, an eloquent speech, which begins in praise of debt, and ends by setting forth the interdependence of all things in the universe.

From Sir Thomas Urquhart of Cromartie, Knight by Willcock, John