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

There’s a deep asymmetry at play here, with falling from grace requiring no effort whereas rebuilding what was lost takes heroic levels of effort. —Alexander Puutio, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024

This will reduce your chances of having asymmetries and imbalances between sides. —Jenny McCoy, SELF, 23 Oct. 2024

Or perhaps there really is just something essentially wrong with the design, an insurmountable lack of visual harmony, asymmetry without an underlying logic. —Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2024

That batch of pipes performed seven times better on flow asymmetry than any prior measurements of Tesla valves. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

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