infinity

American  

[in-fin-i-tee] / ɪnˈfɪn ɪ ti /

noun

• infinities
  plural

1. the quality or state of being infinite.

2. something that is infinite.

3. infinite space, time, or quantity.

4. an infinite extent, amount, or number.

5. an indefinitely great amount or number.

6. Mathematics.

   1. the assumed limit of a sequence, series, etc., that increases without bound.

   2. infinite distance or an infinitely distant part of space.

7. Photography.

   1. a distance between a subject and the camera so great that rays of light reflected from the subject may be regarded as parallel.

   2. a distance setting of the camera lens beyond which everything is in focus.

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infinity British  

/ ɪnˈfɪnɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being infinite

2. endless time, space, or quantity

3. an infinitely or indefinitely great number or amount

4. optics photog a point that is far enough away from a lens, mirror, etc, for the light emitted by it to fall in parallel rays on the surface of the lens, etc

5. physics a dimension or quantity of sufficient size to be unaffected by finite variations

6. maths the concept of a value greater than any finite numerical value

7. a distant ideal point at which two parallel lines are assumed to meet

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infinity Scientific  

/ ĭn-fĭn′ĭ-tē /

1. A space, extent of time, or quantity that has no limit.

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Usage

What is the infinity symbol? The infinity symbol, a figure eight on its side ∞, variously signifies the concept of limitlessness or eternity, especially as used notationally in mathematics and metaphorically with respect to love.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• infinities
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of infinity

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English infinite, from Latin infīnitās, from in- in- ³ + fīni(s) “boundary, end, highest point” ( see finish) + -tās -ty ²

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Explanation

Infinity is forever. You might hope that your relationship with your high school boyfriend will last into infinity, but, realistically, you know that's not likely to happen. You've probably come across infinity in mathematics — a number, like pi, for instance, that goes on and on, symbolized as ∞. Astronomers talk about the infinity of the universe, and religions describe God as infinity. A more earthbound example is an infinity pool — a swimming pool designed to trick the eye and look like it doesn't have an edge, so the water goes on forever. You may know the Latin phrase ad infinitum, which means "and on and on."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

infinity infinities

The researchers found that certain complex calculations become much easier when the number of dimensions approaches infinity.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

Spurred by wealthy Asian collectors, in 2014 Kusama became the most-expensive living female artist when her 1960 painting “White No. 28,” a monochromatic infinity net, sold at Christie’s New York for $7.1 million.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Her trademark polka dots covered entire galleries and giant sculptures, and she also used mirrors and lights to create the effect of shapes and patterns disappearing into infinity.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

The "polka dot queen" channelled hallucinations and battles with mental health into vibrant art featuring her trademark dots, nets and infinity motifs over a career spanning decades and continents.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

Euler was an excellent mathematician—in fact, he was one of the most prolific and influential in history—but in this case the careless manipulation of zero and infinity led him astray.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Scientists have long struggled to unite the two because the equations often spiral into mathematical infinities when gravity is included at quantum scales.

From Science Daily ● May 19, 2026

Brian and Robin consider the mind-bending idea of multiple infinities.

From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2024

To understand, one should first note that the same rules of calculation for finite numbers do not apply to infinities.

From Scientific American ● May 23, 2023

After more than three centuries of effort, the Fermat infinities had finally been surmounted, and civilization, amazingly, was still intact.

From New York Times ● Jan. 31, 2022

The tangent problem and the area problem both ran afoul of the same difficulties with infinities and zeros.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

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