asymmetry

18 6.5

When two sides are not the same in shape, size, or position

noun
/ˌeɪsɪˈmɛtri/

: asimetría

The artist emphasized the asymmetry in her sculpture to create a sense of imbalance.
hemispheric asymmetry
facial asymmetry
positional asymmetry

You got to get in the mood to think of the temporal asymmetry in the same way.

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Examples

So that sort of reflects this kind of asymmetry in these populations.
To begin with, the number of partners is limited, and there are large asymmetries among them.

Academic text (1993)
It's a bad thing because of what he calls the asymmetry between pain and pleasure.

Philosophy Tube
There is no fundamental asymmetry between up and down.
And then you do end up with this kind of asymmetry which comes up in the group chat, right?
And I think that's where information asymmetry is an interesting concept.
That is for almost every single person on the planet, there's an asymmetry that we all have.
So there's going to be there's going to be that asymmetry between the two.

YaleCourses
Entertainment asymmetry is basically the imbalance of information between the player and the spectator.
And Sunstein's contention is that the asymmetry in our response to these cases is irrational.

Synonyms

imbalance

vsasymmetry

82 4.2

When different parts are not equal in amount or power

speaks about unequal shape or arrangement, not only weight or force

irregularity

vsasymmetry

17 5.1

A lack of regular pattern or evenness

focuses specifically on unequal parts rather than pattern changes

unevenness

vsasymmetry

1 5.1

A state in which something is not level or smooth

highlights unequal parts rather than surface roughness or texture

skewness

vsasymmetry

Specialized

1 7.7

A measure of how much a shape or group of numbers is not the same on both sides

is the general absence of equal shape or arrangement

geometrical irregularity

vsasymmetry

Specialized

1 8.1

An uneven shape or pattern that is not the same on both sides

is the broad absence of matching shape, size, or arrangement

dissymmetry

vsasymmetry

1 9.2

A situation where two or more parts are not the same

is the more general term for unequal shape or arrangement

Antonyms

symmetry

34 4.1

A balance of parts that match on opposite sides, like a butterfly's wings

Compounds

radial asymmetry

Specialized

8.2

Not having equal parts around a central point

How Symmetrical

symmetry

34 4.1

balance

783 2.5

asymmetry

18 6.5

unevenness

1 5.1

Surface Forms

asymmetry singular

asymmetries plural

Morphology

asymmetry = symmetry (semi-transparent) = a + symmetry

The link to 'symmetry' is clear, but the learned negative prefix 'a-' is less familiar and less productive for many learners than common negatives like 'un-'.

Etymology

Asymmetry comes from the prefix a- meaning 'not' and the word symmetry meaning 'same on both sides' or 'balance'. So asymmetry means 'not balanced' — parts or sides are different in shape, size, or arrangement.