noun

infinity

in-FIN-uh-tee/ɪnˈfɪnəti/

A quantity or extent with no finite limit.

The continuous ribbon loop symbolizes infinity, with no visible beginning or end.

A clean single infinity loop built from a continuous narrow ribbon, with no visible endpoints, suspended over white paper with lightly washed shadow.

Etymology

inLatinnot

+finitLatindefinite, limited

+yLatinstate or quality

The pieces turn “not limited” into the name of a state: boundlessness. That idea applies both to time without an end and to quantity or extent without a limit.

In context

Professor Dave Explains69:28

So he assumes these indifference curves are complete. Meaning that they can’t just abruptly end. So these curves have to go off to infinity.

Bret and Eric Weinstein: Brothers in Fraudulence

More examples

The sequence grows toward infinity without reaching a largest value.
The symbol ∞ represents infinity.
Mathematicians distinguish between different sizes of infinity.

Forms

infinity · infinities

infinite adjective — Having no limit in size or extent.

Similar words

boundlessness: Emphasizes the absence of boundaries rather than numerical size.
endlessness: Emphasizes continuing without an end, especially through time.