Symmetric

How to spell symmetric

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce symmetric

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does symmetric mean?

1. adjectiveMade of parts that correspond exactly in size, shape, or arrangement on either side of a dividing line or point.

Symmetric in a sentence

• The architect designed a perfectly symmetric facade for the new library.

• A butterfly has a symmetric pattern across its two wings.

Where does symmetric come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This word traces back to the Greek symmetros, which literally meant 'measured together' or 'of like measure', built from syn 'together' and metron 'measure'. From it came the noun symmetria, describing a pleasing proportion between the parts of a whole. The idea passed into Latin as symmetria and then into French and English in the sixteenth century, at first chiefly in the noun 'symmetry' before the adjective forms 'symmetric' and 'symmetrical' settled into mathematical and scientific use. The same metron 'measure' supplies the back half of many English words, including 'metre', 'diameter', and 'thermometer', so the -metr- spine is a reliable clue. The spelling trap is the doubled m: the prefix sym- ends in m and the root begins with m, giving 'symm-', a junction writers often shave down to a single letter.

How the word is built

• sym- (together)
• metr (measure, from metron)
• -ic (adjective suffix)