adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Canada, Received-Pronunciation:/sɪˈmɛtɹɪkəl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/səˈmɛtrək(ə)l/
New-Jersey:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian:/sɪˈmetɹɪkəl/
CMU ARPABET:S AH0 M EH1 T R IH0 K AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Exhibiting symmetry; having harmonious or proportionate arrangement of parts; having corresponding parts or relations.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
symmetrical design
perfectly symmetrical
The building had a perfectly symmetrical façade.
She admired the symmetrical pattern of the snowflake.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: symmetric
Antonyms: asymmetrical
2
adjective
Meaning 2
having similarity in size, shape, and relative position of corresponding parts
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: symmetric
Antonyms: asymmetrical
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
exhibiting equivalence or correspondence among constituents of an entity or between different entities
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: harmonious, proportionate
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English symmetry Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ic Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al Middle English -ical English -ical English symmetrical From symmetry + -ical.
Across languages
Translations
47 source translations are retained for this English entry.