par·i·ty 1 (p r  -t )n. pl. par·i·ties 1. Equality, as in amount, status, or value. 2. Functional equivalence, as in the weaponry or military strength of adversaries: "A problem that has troubled the U.S.-Soviet relationship from the beginning has been the issue of parity" (Charles William Maynes). 3. The equivalent in value of a sum of money expressed in terms of a different currency at a fixed official rate of exchange. 4. Equality of prices of goods or securities in two different markets. 5. A level for farm-product prices maintained by governmental support and intended to give farmers the same purchasing power they had during a chosen base period. 6. Mathematics The even or odd quality of an integer. If two integers are both odd or both even, they are said to have the same parity; if one is odd and one even, they have different parity. 7. Abbr. P Physics a. An intrinsic symmetry property of subatomic particles that is characterized by the behavior of the wave function of such particles under reflection through the origin of spatial coordinates. b. A quantum number, either +1 (even) or -1 (odd), that mathematically describes this property. 8. Computer Science a. The even or odd quality of the number of 1's or 0's in a binary code, often used to determine the integrity of data especially after transmission. b. A parity bit. [French parité, from Old French parite, from Late Latin parit  s, from pr, par-, equal; see pair.] |
| par·i·ty 2 (pr-t) n. 1. The condition of having given birth. 2. The number of children borne by one woman. [Latin parere, to give birth, bring forth; see per  -1 in Indo-European roots + -ity.] |
parity1
n pl -ties
1. equality of rank, pay, etc.
2. close or exact analogy or equivalence
3. (Economics, Accounting & Finance / Banking & Finance) Finance
a. the amount of a foreign currency equivalent at the established exchange rate to a specific sum of domestic currency
b. a similar equivalence between different forms of the same national currency, esp the gold equivalent of a unit of gold-standard currency
4. (Economics, Accounting & Finance / Banking & Finance) equality between prices of commodities or securities in two separate markets
5. (Physics / General Physics) Physics
a. a property of a physical system characterized by the behaviour of the sign of its wave function when all spatial coordinates are reversed in direction. The wave function either remains unchanged (even parity) or changes in sign (odd parity)
b. a quantum number describing this property, equal to +1 for even parity systems and -1 for odd parity systems. Symbol P See also conservation of parity
6. (Mathematics) Maths a relationship between two integers. If both are odd or both even they have the same parity; if one is odd and one even they have different parity
7. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Agriculture) (in the US) a system of government support for farm products
[from Late Latin pāritās; see par]
parity2
n
1. (Medicine / Gynaecology & Obstetrics) the condition or fact of having given birth
2. (Medicine / Gynaecology & Obstetrics) the number of children to which a woman has given birth
[from Latin parere to bear]
| parity (pr-t) 1. 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 lawparity conjugation 2. A quantum number, either +1 or -1, that mathematically describes this property. 3. 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. |
parity
the state, quality, or fact of having given birth to or having borne offspring.
See also: Birth
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | parity - (obstetrics) the number of liveborn children a woman has delivered; "the parity of the mother must be considered"; "a bipara is a woman who has given birth to two children" midwifery, obstetrics, tocology, OB - the branch of medicine dealing with childbirth and care of the mother |
| 2. | parity - (mathematics) a relation between a pair of integers: if both integers are odd or both are even they have the same parity; if one is odd and the other is even they have different parity; "parity is often used to check the integrity of transmitted data" math, mathematics, maths - a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement mathematical relation - a relation between mathematical expressions (such as equality or inequality) evenness - the parity of even numbers (divisible by two) oddness - the parity of odd numbers (not divisible by two) | |
| 3. | parity - (computer science) a bit that is used in an error detection procedure in which a 0 or 1 is added to each group of bits so that it will have either an odd number of 1's or an even number of 1's; e.g., if the parity is odd then any group of bits that arrives with an even number of 1's must contain an error computer science, computing - the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures bit - a unit of measurement of information (from binary + digit); the amount of information in a system having two equiprobable states; "there are 8 bits in a byte" | |
| 4. |  parity - (physics) parity is conserved in a universe in which the laws of physics are the same in a right-handed system of coordinates as in a left-handed systemnatural philosophy, physics - the science of matter and energy and their interactions; "his favorite subject was physics" conservation - (physics) the maintenance of a certain quantities unchanged during chemical reactions or physical transformations | |
| 5. | parity - functional equality equivalence - essential equality and interchangeability |
parity
noun equality, correspondence, consistency, equivalence, quits (informal), par, unity, similarity, likeness, uniformity, equal terms, sameness, parallelism, congruity Women have yet to achieve wage parity with men in many fields.
Translations
parity
n
(= equality) → Gleichstellung f; (of opportunities) → Gleichheit f; parity of treatment → Gleichstellung f; parity of pay → Lohngleichheit f
(US Agr) → Preisparität f
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