English edit

Etymology edit

From symmetry +‎ -ic,[1][2] from Latin symmetria, from Ancient Greek συμμετρία (summetría).

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

symmetric (comparative more symmetric, superlative most symmetric)

  1. Symmetrical.
  2. (set theory) Of a relation R on a set S, such that xRy if and only if yRx for all members x and y of S (that is, if the relation holds between any element and a second, it also holds between the second and the first).
    "Is a sibling of" is a symmetric relation.
  3. (cryptography) Using the same key (or keys that are trivially related) for both encryption and decryption.

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

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See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ symmetric, adj.”, in OED Online  [1], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000, archived from the original on 2023-09-19.
  2. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “symmetric”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams edit