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

Analysts at the bank said the company has an attractive risk/reward profile at the moment, and that the market is underappreciating the asymmetry between HPE's earnings power and valuation. — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026

Economists studying the post-recession years have found this asymmetry systematically rewarded people who already owned capital before the crash and penalized everyone who didn’t yet have any. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026

In addition to heart rate, calories burned, distance, duration, elevation, and speed, Samsung smartwatches track advanced running form metrics, including asymmetry, contact time, flight time, regularity, vertical oscillation, and stiffness. — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026

The emphasis on reserves illustrates Taiwan’s efforts to address the military power asymmetry between itself and China, Yang said. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 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