symmetry

[sim-i-tree]

noun

plural

symmetries 

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.

symmetry

/ 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

symmetry

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

symmetry

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

Other Word Forms

• antisymmetry adjective
• nonsymmetry noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of symmetry¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of symmetry¹

C16: from Latin symmetria, from Greek summetria proportion, from _syn- + metron measure

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Sophocles himself might have approved the tragic symmetry.

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This structure can hold "guest" molecules, and because of its high symmetry, it is far easier to study than a complex protein.

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The angel’s head is presented on the same level as the Virgin’s, in perfect symmetry, his words projecting out as gold letters.

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Their success stemmed in part from identifying patterns in physical systems, including symmetries and differences in length scales, which helped them design scalable circuits that prepare states with localized correlations.

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“It must be the neoclassical symmetry of his eyebrows,” she murmured, and pretended to sketch those very eyebrows in the margin of her book with a fingertip.

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Related Words

• equilibrium 
• harmony 
• rhythm 
• similarity