noun
symmetry
SIM-uh-tree/ˈsɪmətri/
A balanced correspondence between parts of a whole.
The butterfly's matching wings display symmetry around its central body.
Etymology
The pieces express having a common measure: parts agree in their proportions. This broad idea of harmonious arrangement became the more specific correspondence of parts across a plane or around a center.
In context
What happens if we have a bead in an off-center rotating hoop? the left-right symmetry is broken
More examples
- A butterfly's wings show striking symmetry.
- Moving one chair disrupts the symmetry of the seating arrangement.
- The poem's matching opening and closing lines create a satisfying symmetry.
Forms
symmetry · symmetries
symmetrical adjective — Having balanced or matching corresponding parts.
symmetrically adverb — In a balanced arrangement of corresponding parts.
Similar words
- balance
- Emphasizes equal visual weight, even when parts do not match.
- proportion
- Concerns relative sizes of parts rather than their matching arrangement.
- harmony
- Emphasizes parts fitting pleasantly together without requiring corresponding shapes.