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parity1 definition

par·ity (parə tē)

noun pl. parities -·ties

  1. the state or condition of being the same in power, value, rank, etc.; equality
  2. resemblance; similarity
  3. equivalence in value of one currency expressed in terms of another country's currency
  4. equality of value at a given ratio between different kinds of money, commodities, etc.
  5. ☆ a price for certain farm products, usually maintained by government price supports, designed to keep the purchasing power of the farmer at the level of a designated base period
  6. Math. the condition existing between two integers that are both odd or both even
  7. Physics a symmetry property of a wave function: expressed as +1 if no difference can be detected between the wave function and its mirror image, and as -1 if the wave function is changed only in sign

Etymology: Fr parité < L paritas < par, equal: see par

parity2 definition

par·ity (parə tē)

noun

Med. the state or fact of having born offspring

Etymology: < L parere, to bear (see -parous) + -ity

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