duality

[ doo-al-i-tee, dyoo- ]

noun

1. a dual state or quality.
2. Mathematics. a symmetry within a mathematical system such that a theorem remains valid if certain objects, relations, or operations are interchanged, as the interchange of points and lines in a plane in projective geometry.

duality

/ djuːˈælɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being two or in two parts; dichotomy
2. physics the principle that a wave-particle duality exists in microphysics in which wave theory and corpuscular theory are complementary. The propagation of electromagnetic radiation is analysed using wave theory but its interaction with matter is described in terms of photons. The condition of particles such as electrons, neutrons, and atoms is described in terms of de Broglie waves
3. geometry the interchangeability of the roles of the point and the plane in statements and theorems in projective geometry

Other Words From

• nondu·ali·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of duality¹

1350–1400; Middle English dualitie < Late Latin duālitās. See dual, -ity

Example Sentences

Its particle/wave title alludes to the often mystifying duality of subatomic reality, which drove major scientific discovery for three centuries, from Isaac Newton to Albert Einstein.

From Los Angeles Times

Bettina Brendel, whose mammoth, six-panel 1969 painting “Particles or Waves?” gave the show its title, attempts with mixed success to evoke the foundational duality’s puzzling contradictions, laying out a sequence of crosshatch marks, jagged stripes and swollen curves.

From Los Angeles Times

"As a group, we're always trying to show that duality of being strong but also being vulnerable," Yunjin explains.

From BBC

Rooted in her dreaded trek to the beloved studio, the Mexico City-born musician learned to embrace duality and overcome self-judgment through the making of her most recent EP “Blush.”

From Los Angeles Times

You don’t need a master’s in wave-particle duality to enjoy the cosmic playground of coincidence and fate that Kröger has in mind.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• combination
• couple
• duo
• match
• team
• two