asymmetric
Americanadjective
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not identical on both sides of a central line; unsymmetrical; lacking symmetry.
Most faces are asymmetric.
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(of a logical or mathematical relation) holding true of members of a class in one order but not in the opposite order, as in the relation “being an ancestor of.”
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Chemistry.
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having an unsymmetrical arrangement of atoms in a molecule.
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noting a carbon atom bonded to four different atoms or groups.
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(of a polymer) noting an atom or group that is within a polymer chain and is bonded to two different atoms or groups that are external to the chain.
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adjective
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not symmetrical; lacking symmetry; misproportioned
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chem
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(of a molecule) having its atoms and radicals arranged unsymmetrically
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(of a carbon atom) attached to four different atoms or radicals so that stereoisomerism results
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involving chiral molecules
asymmetric synthesis
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electrical engineering (of conductors) having different conductivities depending on the direction of current flow, as of diodes
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aeronautics having unequal thrust, as caused by an inoperative engine in a twin-engined aircraft
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logic maths (of a relation) never holding between a pair of values x and y when it holds between y and x, as " …is the father of… " Compare symmetric antisymmetric nonsymmetric
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of asymmetric
First recorded in 1870–75; a- 6 + symmetric ( def. )
Explanation
You describe something as asymmetric when it lacks the mirror-image quality of symmetry. That dress your sister sewed for you may appear stylishly asymmetric, but really the reason the sleeves are different lengths is because she doesn’t know how to use a tape measure. The a- prefix comes from Latin and makes a word into its opposite, so asymmetric is the opposite of symmetric. Asymmetric often describes an intentional part of a design, like a shirt with an asymmetric neckline. But it can also describe something that is the result of a mistake, injustice, or deformity, like asymmetric growth in a body, which may be a sign of disease.
Vocabulary lists containing asymmetric
Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
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Vocabulary from the Eighth Republican Debate, February 6, 2016
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On "Militants" and "Mayhem": Ten Words in the News That You Need to Know
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai were awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for breakthroughs within asymmetric synthesis that have helped advance the development of modern pharmaceuticals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
The pair were honoured "for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis", the jury said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
While that truce collapsed in July, the two sides have opted for asymmetric tactics over the resumption of direct attacks, with the United States maintaining a full naval blockade of Iranian ports.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
Speaking of the intervention in the Japanese yen, “I have asymmetric information,” said Bessent.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
“If there were any way to get asymmetric forces out of that, where you get force in one direction and not the other, you’d get a propulsive force.’
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
