parity

1
[ par-i-tee ]
/ ˈpær ɪ ti /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR parity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

equality, as in amount, status, or character.
equivalence; correspondence; similarity; analogy.
Finance.
  1. equivalence in value in the currency of another country.
  2. equivalence in value at a fixed ratio between moneys of different metals.
Physics.
  1. a property of a wave function, expressed as +1 or −1 and noting the relation of the given function to the function formed when each variable is replaced by its negative, +1 indicating that the functions are identical and −1 that the second function is the negative of the first.
  2. Also called intrinsic parity. a number +1 or −1 assigned to each kind of elementary particle in such a way that the product of the parities of the particles in a system of particles multiplied by the parity of the wave function describing the system is unchanged when particles are created or annihilated.
a system of regulating prices of farm commodities, usually by government price supports, to provide farmers with the same purchasing power they had in a selected base period.
Computers. the condition of the number of items in a set, particularly the number of bits per byte or word, being either even or odd: used as a means for detecting certain errors.

Origin of parity

1
From the Late Latin word paritās, dating back to 1565–75. See par1, -ity

Words nearby parity

parishioner, parisian, parisienne, parison, parisyllabic, parity, parity check, parity conjugation, parity price, park, park and ride

Definition for parity (2 of 2)

parity 2
[ par-i-tee ]
/ ˈpær ɪ ti /

noun Obstetrics.

the condition or fact of having borne offspring.
para5(def 1).

Origin of parity

2
1875–80; < Latin par(ere) to bring forth (cf. parent) + -ity

Words related to parity

unity, uniformity, consistency, correspondence, similitude, par, nearness, likeness, paraphernalia, equivalence, closeness, agreement, approximation, congruity, affinity, parallelism, analogy, similarity, resemblance, conformity

Example sentences from the Web for parity

British Dictionary definitions for parity (1 of 2)

parity 1
/ (ˈpærɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

Word Origin for parity

C16: from Late Latin pāritās; see par

British Dictionary definitions for parity (2 of 2)

parity 2
/ (ˈpærɪtɪ) /

noun

the condition or fact of having given birth
the number of children to which a woman has given birth

Word Origin for parity

C19: from Latin parere to bear

Medical definitions for parity

parity
[ păr′ĭ-tē ]

n.

The state of having given birth to an infant or infants.

Scientific definitions for parity

parity
[ păr′ĭ-tē ]

The property of a physical system that entails how the system would behave if the coordinate system were reversed, each dimension changing sign from x, y, z to -x, -y, -z. If a system behaves in the same way when the coordinate system is reversed, then it is said to have even parity; if it does not, it is said to have odd parity. For bosons, the antiparticle of any given particle has the same parity, odd or even, as that particle. For fermions, the antiparticle has the opposite parity. See also conservation law parity conjugation.
A quantum number, either +1 or -1, that mathematically describes this property.
The number of 1's in a piece of binary code, generally taken as the quality of odd or even rather than as a specific number. The parity of packets of binary data is often transmitted along with the data to help detect whether the value of any bits has been altered.