1. Exact correspondence of form and constituent configuration on opposite sides of a dividing line or plane or about a center or an axis. See synonyms at proportion.
2. A relationship of characteristic correspondence, equivalence, or identity among constituents of an entity or between different entities: the narrative symmetry of the novel.
3. Beauty as a result of balance or harmonious arrangement.
[Latin symmetria, from Greek summetriā, from summetros, of like measure : sun-, syn- + metron, measure.]
Thesaurus: symmetry
noun
Satisfying arrangement marked by even distribution of elements, as in a design: balance, harmony, proportion. See beautiful/ugly.
Antonyms: symmetry
n
Definition: proportion
Antonyms: asymmetry, difference, disproportion, imbalance, irregularity, unevenness
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: symmetry
In geometry, the property by which the sides of a figure or object reflect each other across a line (axis of symmetry) or surface; in biology, the orderly repetition of parts of an animal or plant; in chemistry, a fundamental property of orderly arrangements of atoms in molecules or crystals; in physics, a concept of balance illustrated by such fundamental laws as the third of Newton's laws of motion. Symmetry in nature underlies one of the most fundamental concepts of beauty. It connotes balance, order, and thus, to some, a type of divine principle.
Architecture and Landscaping: symmetry
1. Exact correspondence of parts on either side of an axis, e.g. Greek temple.
2. Harmony, proportion, or uniformity between the parts of a building and its whole.
Columbia Encyclopedia: symmetry,
generally speaking, a balance or correspondence between various parts of an object; the term symmetry is used both in the arts and in the sciences. In art and design, it is often used in a somewhat loose sense, to mean a kind of balance in which the corresponding parts are not necessarily alike but only similar. A symmetrical design should produce a pleasing effect; if there is too close a correspondence, the effect may be monotonous. Ancient Greek architecture is particularly distinguished for its symmetry.
Science Dictionary: symmetry
In geometry, the equivalence, point for point, of a figure on opposite sides of a point, line, or plane.
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