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entropy

Entropy is defined as a state of disorder or decline into disorder.

(noun)

An example of entropy is a stock market that is in chaos and that makes no sense and isn't predictable.

See entropy in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

a thermodynamic measure of the amount of energy unavailable for useful work in a system undergoing change
a measure of the degree of disorder in a substance or a system: entropy always increases and available energy diminishes in a closed system, as the universe
in information theory, a measure of the information content of a message evaluated as to its uncertainty
a process of degeneration marked variously by increasing degrees of uncertainty, disorder, fragmentation, chaos, etc.; specif., such a process regarded as the inevitable, terminal stage in the life of a social system or structure

Origin: Ger entropie, arbitrary use (by R. J. E. Clausius, 1822-88, Ger physicist) of Gr entropē, a turning toward, as if < Ger en(ergie), energy + Gr tropē, a turning: see trope

Related Forms:

entropic adjective

See entropy in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. en·tro·pies

Symbol S For a closed thermodynamic system, a quantitative measure of the amount of thermal energy not available to do work.
A measure of the disorder or randomness in a closed system.
A measure of the loss of information in a transmitted message.
The tendency for all matter and energy in the universe to evolve toward a state of inert uniformity.
Inevitable and steady deterioration of a system or society.

Origin:

Origin: German Entropie

Origin: : Greek en-, in; see en-²

Origin: + Greek tropē, transformation; see trep- in Indo-European roots

Related Forms: