asymmetry

noun

asym·​me·​try (ˌ)ā-ˈsi-mə-trē 

plural asymmetries

: lack or absence of symmetry

As Mercury orbits the Sun, it experiences a small torque due to its slight asymmetry in the plane of its orbit …

—Johanna Miller

French rococo was a part of this mood, which tended to favor pastel colors, asymmetry, a calculated disorder, a dreamy sensuality.

—Jonathan D. Spence

"Handedness"—whether we are left- or right-handed—is a convenient indicator of the development of the brain asymmetries that are thought to be required for language.

—Tim Flannery

Examples of asymmetry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The asymmetry of real-time information is obvious. —Tonya M. Evans, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026

The asymmetry gives a classic look some modernity and interest without breaking any royal protocols. —Marci Robin, Allure, 17 June 2026

The reason for the cosmos’s matter-antimatter asymmetry is a major physics mystery. —Quanta Magazine, 15 June 2026

Here, a crucial asymmetry becomes obvious. —Anand Menon, Time, 13 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for asymmetry

• altimetry
• dosimetry
• calorimetry
• colorimetry
• supersymmetry
• symmetry

Medical Definition

asymmetry

noun

asym·​me·​try (ˈ)ā-ˈsim-ə-trē 

plural asymmetries

1

: lack or absence of symmetry: as

a

: lack of proportion between the parts of a thing

especially : want of bilateral symmetry

asymmetry in the development of the two sides of the brain

b

: lack of coordination of two parts acting in connection with one another

asymmetry of convergence of the eyes

2

: lack of symmetry in spatial arrangement of atoms and groups in a molecule