ENTROPY

randomness, entropy

(noun) (thermodynamics) a thermodynamic quantity representing the amount of energy in a system that is no longer available for doing mechanical work; “entropy increases as matter and energy in the universe degrade to an ultimate state of inert uniformity”

information, selective information, entropy

(noun) (communication theory) a numerical measure of the uncertainty of an outcome; “the signal contained thousands of bits of information”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

entropy (countable and uncountable, plural entropies)

(thermodynamics, countable)

strictly thermodynamic entropy. A measure of the amount of energy in a physical system that cannot be used to do work.

A measure of the disorder present in a system.

The capacity factor for thermal energy that is hidden with respect to temperature .

The dispersal of energy; how much energy is spread out in a process, or how widely spread out it becomes, at a specific temperature.

(statistics, information theory, countable) A measure of the amount of information and noise present in a signal.

(uncountable) The tendency of a system that is left to itself to descend into chaos.

Synonyms

• anergy

• bound entropy

• disgregation

Antonyms

• aggregation

• exergy

• free entropy

• negentropy

Anagrams

• Poynter, peryton

Source: Wiktionary


En"tro*py, n. Etym: [Gr. (Thermodynamics)

Definition: A certain property of a body, expressed as a measurable quantity, such that when there is no communication of heat the quantity remains constant, but when heat enters or leaves the body the quantity increases or diminishes. If a small amount, h, of heat enters the body when its temperature is t in the thermodynamic scale the entropy of the body is increased by h . The entropy is regarded as measured from some standard temperature and pressure. Sometimes called the thermodynamic function. The entropy of the universe tends towards a maximum. Clausius.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

29 March 2025

THOUGHTLESS

(adjective) without care or thought for others; “the thoughtless saying of a great princess on being informed that the people had no bread; ‘Let them eat cake’”


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, on 25 September 2016, the Birla Institute of Management Technology (India) in Uttar Pradesh, India, constructed the largest coffee cups pyramid consisting of 23,821 cups. They used paper takeaway coffee cups to build the pyramid.

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