asymmetry means an absence of symmetry or proportion between the parts of a thing, or a distinction that produces such a lack of symmetry. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 75 out of 100.
asymmetry is pronounced /eɪˈsɪmɪtɹi/.
Why “asymmetry” is a great word
An absence or violation of symmetry, proportion, or commensurability between the parts of a thing. From Ancient Greek ἀσυμμετρία (asummetría, "lack of proportion"), from ἀ- (a-, "not, without") + σύμμετρος (súmmetros, "commensurable, symmetrical") + -ία (-ia, noun-forming suffix); equivalent to English a- + symmetry. First recorded in English 1645–55. Unlike "imbalance," which implies a flaw in a system's function, or "irregularity," which suggests a random deviation from a rule, asymmetry is a formal condition, a principle of difference. It is the deliberate tilt of a Japanese garden rock, the mismatched placement of a beauty mark on a face, and the single oak leaf that never quite mirrors its other half—a quiet assertion that the most profound order often lies in a graceful refusal.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἀσυμμετρία (asummetría), from ἀσύμμετρος (asúmmetros) + -ία (-ía), from ἀ- (a-) + σύμμετρος (súmmetros); equivalent to a- + symmetry.
noun
- An absence of symmetry or proportion between the parts of a thing, or a distinction that produces such a lack of symmetry.“Despite the generally symmetrical appearance of the two hemispheres, however, a number of biological asymmetries have been documented during the last hundred years.”
- The lack of a common measure between two objects or quantities; incommensurability.