invariance
Americannoun
plural
invariances-
the property of being invariant or of not being altered by transformations or other operations in mathematics or physics, such as rotation or translation.
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the quality of not being altered by circumstances or of not varying from the norm.
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The property of remaining unchanged regardless of changes in the conditions of measurement. For example, the area of a surface remains unchanged if the surface is rotated in space; thus the area exhibits rotational invariance. In physics, invariance is related to conservation laws. For example, conservation of angular momentum is directly related to rotational invariance (the laws of physics don't depend on the angle of the reference point), conservation of energy is related to invariance over time (the laws of physics remain the same over time), and conservation of momentum is related to invariance over translations through space (the laws of physics don't depend on the position of the reference point). A form of invariance called Lorenz invariance is fundamental to the theory of Special Relativity. Invariance is also called symmetry.
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See also Noether's theorem
Other Word Forms
- noninvariance noun
- quasi-invariance noun
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.
Over time, Lorentz invariance became a foundational assumption in modern physics, especially within quantum theory.
From Science Daily • Jan. 8, 2026
This single neuron thus has semantic invariance for the concept of your grandmother.
From Salon • Mar. 25, 2025
The company is saying, “Amidst all this enthusiasm, what fundamental invariance can you bet on?”
From The Verge • Mar. 22, 2022
String theory did away with the invariance of dimensions and M-theory did away with the invariance of strings.
From Scientific American • Mar. 12, 2014
Importation of time and suppression of time as the classic devices of sciences.—The nature of invariance.
From Manhood of Humanity. by Korzybski, Alfred
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.
