Definition of permutation
1
: often major or fundamental change (as in character or condition) based primarily on rearrangement of existent elements
the system has gone through several permutations
also
: a form or variety resulting from such change
technology available in various permutations
2a
: the act or process of changing the lineal order of an ordered set of objects
b
: an ordered arrangement of a set of objects
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for permutation
The first known use of permutation was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century