polarity

American  

[poh-ler-uh-tee, puh-] / poʊˈlɛr ə ti, pə- /

noun

1. Physics.

   1. the property or characteristic that produces unequal physical effects at different points in a body or system, as a magnet or storage battery.

   2. the positive or negative state in which a body reacts to a magnetic, electric, or other field.

2. the presence or manifestation of two opposite or contrasting principles or tendencies.

3. Linguistics.

   1. (of words, phrases, or sentences) positive or negative character.

   2. polar opposition.

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polarity British  

/ pəʊˈlærɪtɪ /

noun

1. the condition of having poles

2. the condition of a body or system in which it has opposing physical properties at different points, esp magnetic poles or electric charge

3. the particular state of a part of a body or system that has polarity

   an electrode with positive polarity

4. the state of having or expressing two directly opposite tendencies, opinions, etc

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polarity Scientific  

/ pō-lăr′ĭ-tē /

1. The condition of having poles or being aligned with or directed toward poles, especially magnetic or electric poles.

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Other Word Forms

• nonpolarity noun

Etymology

Origin of polarity

First recorded in 1640–50; polar + -ity

Explanation

Polarity is a relationship between two opposite characteristics or tendencies, like the polarity of two sides of a debate, or of the superhero and villain in a comic book. Polarity can literally refer to a positive or negative electric charge. Less literally, it indicates something with two opposing but related qualities. You might visualize polarity as a battery holder with a plus sign on one end and a negative on the other. More than just opposites, polarity suggests opposites that are interconnected. What would the light of day be without the dark of night? Good without evil? Yin without Yang?

Example Sentences

To confirm that the tiny ferromagnet, which measures only a few micrometers across, had truly reversed its polarity, the team shone a second, weaker laser beam onto it.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

The magnetic field has changed its polarity thousands of times throughout the history of the Earth.

From Science Daily • Oct. 12, 2025

"It holds a mirror up to society and talks about the divisiveness in our culture and the fact that there's so much polarity."

From BBC • Sep. 18, 2025

Instead, that polarity motif is more thrillingly captured when Eve fends off a flamethrower with a fire hose.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2025

When she stopped, it was as though some momentous change of polarity had taken place inside her mind, one that had an immediate, pacifying effect on her body.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger