noun
parity
The property of a whole number being even or odd.
Adding two to a whole number leaves its parity unchanged.
Etymology
The source means equality or likeness. In mathematics, parity classifies integers by whether they divide into equal pairs or leave one unpaired.
More examples
- Six and ten have the same parity because both are even.
- Adding one changes a whole number's parity.
- A parity check detects some data errors by counting the 1 bits.
Forms
parity · parities
Similar words
- evenness
- Specifically means divisibility by two, rather than either classification.
- oddness
- Specifically means having remainder one when divided by two.