symmetry

American  

[sim-i-tree] / ˈsɪm ɪ tri /

noun

• symmetries
  plural

1. the correspondence in size, form, and arrangement of parts on opposite sides of a plane, line, or point; regularity of form or arrangement in terms of like, reciprocal, or corresponding parts.

   Synonyms:

   correspondence, concord, consonance

   Antonyms:

   asymmetry

2. the proper or due proportion of the parts of a body or whole to one another with regard to size and form; excellence of proportion.

3. beauty based on or characterized by such excellence of proportion.

4. Mathematics.

   1. a geometrical or other regularity that is possessed by a mathematical object and is characterized by the operations that leave the object invariant.

      A circle has rotational symmetry and reflection symmetry.

   2. a rotation or translation of a plane figure that leaves the figure unchanged although its position may be altered.

5. Physics. a property of a physical system that is unaffected by certain mathematical transformations as, for example, the work done by gravity on an object, which is not affected by any change in the position from which the potential energy of the object is measured.

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symmetry British  

/ ˈsɪmɪtrɪ /

noun

1. similarity, correspondence, or balance among systems or parts of a system

2. maths an exact correspondence in position or form about a given point, line, or plane See symmetrical

3. beauty or harmony of form based on a proportionate arrangement of parts

4. physics the independence of a property with respect to direction; isotropy

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symmetry Scientific  

/ sĭm′ĭ-trē /

1. An exact matching of form and arrangement of parts on opposite sides of a boundary, such as a plane or line, or around a central point or axis.

2. See invariance

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symmetry Cultural  

1. In geometry, the equivalence, point for point, of a figure on opposite sides of a point, line, or plane.

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Synonym Usage

Symmetry, balance, proportion, harmony are terms used, particularly in the arts, to denote qualities based upon a correspondence or agreement, usually pleasing, among the parts of a whole. Symmetry implies either a quantitative equality of parts ( the perfect symmetry of pairs of matched columns ) or a unified system of subordinate parts: the symmetry of a well-ordered musical composition. Balance implies equality of parts, often as a means of emphasis: Balance in sentences may emphasize the contrast in ideas. Proportion depends less upon equality of parts than upon that agreement among them that is determined by their relation to a whole: The dimensions of the room gave a feeling of right proportion. Harmony, a technical term in music, may also suggest the pleasing quality that arises from a just ordering of parts in other forms of artistic composition: harmony of line, color, mass, phrase, ideas.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsymmetry
  noun
• antisymmetry
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• symmetries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of symmetry

1535–45; from Latin symmetria from Greek symmetría “commensurateness.” See sym-, -metry

Explanation

Things that have symmetry are balanced, with each side reflecting the other. A human body has such complex symmetry, from eyes, ears, and nostrils to arms, legs, and feet, that even a minor injury can make a body look unbalanced. Snowflakes and butterflies often have a remarkable natural symmetry, with patterns on one side matched by those on the other. Objects that have identical or very similar parts lying at equal distances from a central point or line or plane — that is, objects that have symmetry — often work better. Symmetry helps boats stay upright in water. In design, symmetry is a balancing of objects, as when two candlesticks on a fireplace mantel are at equal distances from the center of the mantel. A lack of symmetry — i.e., asymmetry — might mean putting both candlesticks together at one end of the mantel.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

symmetry symmetries

With elegant symmetry and a cool, genteel prose style, Ms. Li tracks these parallel stories, exploring the duo’s worldly educations and the ruthless sacrifices to love and friendship they make in pursuit of their ambitions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Their tropical light and decorative symmetry hold opposites, before and after the Fall, in a kind of suspended equilibrium.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

The researchers built their approach around a mathematical property of the W state known as cyclic shift symmetry.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026

It asks very little of you beyond something delicious to pile in the middle and the confidence to fold the edges inward without worrying too much about symmetry.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

She’s in her midthirties, with permed blond hair and a slight deviation in her facial symmetry that’s worse when she smiles.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

One world is ending, and a new one is just about to begin; “Amrum” is full of such satisfying symmetries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

"If the structures are in competition, maybe that will cause the spins to twist. Let's find some structures that are chemically very close but have different symmetries."

From Science Daily ● Jan. 12, 2026

As its winking title suggests, director Trương Minh Quý’s “Việt and Nam” is constructed out of neat symmetries and thorny juxtapositions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2025

Mathematical symmetries within the standard model suggest the weak and electromagnetic forces are different aspects of a single “electroweak” force.

From Science Magazine ● Mar. 27, 2024

What does this idea—say, the knotting of braids—have in common with that one in some other seemingly disparate area—say, the symmetries of some geometric figure?

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Related Words

• equilibrium
• harmony
• rhythm
• similarity