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 emphasis on reserves illustrates Taiwan’s efforts to address the military power asymmetry between itself and China, Yang said. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026

An app may identify asymmetries or features that were never a ‘problem’ before. — Jaimie Potters, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026

The letters only become a real problem for someone who filed as a non–New York resident while actually living in the city, exactly the asymmetry being exposed by the Mamdani tax. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026

The work still needs human choices, asymmetries and the genuine serendipity of lived experience that technology can't replicate. — Stefano Marrone, Forbes.com, 31 July 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