symmetry
noun
sym·me·try
ˈsi-mə-trē 
plural symmetries
1
: balanced proportions
also
: beauty of form arising from balanced proportions
2
: the property of being symmetrical
especially
: correspondence in size, shape, and relative position of parts on opposite sides of a dividing line or median plane or about a center or axis compare bilateral symmetry, radial symmetry
3
: a rigid motion of a geometric figure that determines a one-to-one mapping onto itself
4
: the property of remaining invariant under certain changes (as of orientation in space, of the sign of the electric charge, of parity, or of the direction of time flow)
—used of physical phenomena and of equations describing them
Examples of symmetry in a Sentence
the symmetry of the human body
The building has perfect symmetry.
Recent Examples on the Web
So shareholder return grew slightly faster than pay last year, giving the growth rates a certain symmetry.
—
Evan Clark, Footwear News, 16 July 2025
There’s a symmetry in the modern era of Chicago sports.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 11 July 2025
These shapes involve all sorts of symmetries, particularly in high dimensions.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 7 July 2025
Columns and beams around it repeat and recede to a vanishing point, producing a mesmerizing symmetry.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for symmetry
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Evan Clark, Footwear News, 16 July 2025
There’s a symmetry in the modern era of Chicago sports.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 11 July 2025
These shapes involve all sorts of symmetries, particularly in high dimensions.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 7 July 2025
Columns and beams around it repeat and recede to a vanishing point, producing a mesmerizing symmetry.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for symmetry
Cite this Entry
“Symmetry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/symmetry. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
symmetry
noun
sym·me·try
ˈsim-ə-trē
plural symmetries
1
: balanced proportions
2
: close agreement in size, shape, and relative position of parts on opposite sides of a dividing line or plane or around a central point compare bilateral symmetry, radial symmetry
Medical Definition
symmetry
noun
sym·me·try
ˈsim-ə-trē
plural symmetries
1
: correspondence in size, shape, and relative position of parts on opposite sides of a dividing line or median plane or about a center or axis see bilateral symmetry, radial symmetry
2
: the property of remaining invariant under certain changes (as of orientation in space, of the sign of the electric charge, of parity, or of the direction of time flow)
—used of physical phenomena and of equations describing them
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