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

Yet the situation in L.A. only further clarifies the asymmetries among media ecosystems. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025

There is an inherent asymmetry of vulnerability here; doctors and patients are not equals at the Thanksgiving table. —Danielle Ofri, New Yorker, 7 June 2025

The resulting equations take into account such factors as the composition and resulting pattern of the oil used on bowling lanes, as well as the inevitable asymmetries of bowling balls and player variability. —ArsTechnica, 15 Apr. 2025

In Asia, the asymmetry in U.S. trade relations with Japan, South Korea, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is somewhat compensated for by the U.S. policy of rivalry with China. —Robert O. Keohane, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2025

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