Word
symmetry
Phoneticssym·me·try
US/ˈsɪmətɹi/
UK/sˈɪmətɹi/
Definitions
01physical balance
n. the quality of having two halves that are exactly the same size and shape.
n. the exact correspondence in size, form, and arrangement of parts on opposite sides of a plane, line, or point.
“The butterfly's wings were beautiful because of their perfect symmetry.”
“The architect relied on bilateral symmetry to create a sense of stability and grandeur in the cathedral's facade.”
Usage
Often used as an uncountable noun when discussing the abstract concept.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02aesthetic harmony
n. a balanced and pleasing arrangement of different parts.
n. the harmonious and beautiful proportion of the elements of a whole.
“There is a nice symmetry between the two stories in this book.”
“The poet achieves a structural symmetry by opening and closing the work with the same haunting imagery of the sea.”
Academic
Teaching tip
In academic writing, this sense often describes the balance between two ideas or arguments rather than physical objects.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“It’s full of of nice little symmetries and links: it’s issue 90 and a football match is 90 minutes long, and the cover has got this gold foil on it that references football cards.” “Formin is likely only one in a set of genes that controls symmetry among animals, says Davison.” Etymology
From Latin symmetria, from Ancient Greek συμμετρία (summetría), from σύμμετρος (súmmetros, “symmetrical”), from σύν (sún, “with”) + μέτρον (métron, “measure”). By surface analysis, sym- + -metry.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/symmetry