symmetry

American  

[sim-i-tree] / ˈsɪm ɪ tri /

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.

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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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Related Words

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

• antisymmetry adjective
• nonsymmetry noun

Etymology

Origin of symmetry

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

Example Sentences

The symmetry in what both teams say about what it took and will take to pull off the fifth three-peat in their respective sports?

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

And with neat symmetry, his Test return was also against Ireland in the first night of the tournament.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

When ions move through a crystal lattice in a fluid-like way, their motion temporarily disturbs the lattice symmetry.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2026

Just as Kim Jong Un has dressed to echo his predecessors, the sartorial symmetry underscores his daughter’s connection to the “Mount Paektu bloodline”—those with a direct lineage to North Korean founder Kim Il Sung.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 28, 2026

The universe would be left in a very non-uniform state, with some regions still having symmetry between the different forces.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Related Words

• equilibrium
• harmony
• rhythm
• similarity