symmetry
noun
sym·me·try
ˈsi-mə-trē
plural symmetries
1
: balanced proportions
also
: beauty of form arising from balanced proportions
2
: the property of being symmetrical
especially
: correspondence in size, shape, and relative position of parts on opposite sides of a dividing line or median plane or about a center or axis compare bilateral symmetry, radial symmetry
3
: a rigid motion of a geometric figure that determines a one-to-one mapping onto itself
4
: the property of remaining invariant under certain changes (as of orientation in space, of the sign of the electric charge, of parity, or of the direction of time flow)
—used of physical phenomena and of equations describing them
Cite this Entry
“Symmetry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/symmetry. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.
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