POLARITY

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does polarity mean? 

• POLARITY (noun)
  The noun POLARITY has 2 senses:

1. a relation between two opposite attributes or tendencies

2. having an indicated pole (as the distinction between positive and negative electric charges)

  Familiarity information: POLARITY used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• POLARITY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A relation between two opposite attributes or tendencies

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Synonyms:

mutual opposition; polarity

Context example:

he viewed it as a balanced polarity between good and evil

Hypernyms ("polarity" is a kind of...):

oppositeness; opposition (the relation between opposed entities)

Derivation:

polar (characterized by opposite extremes; completely opposed)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Having an indicated pole (as the distinction between positive and negative electric charges)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Synonyms:

polarity; sign

Context example:

charges of opposite sign

Hypernyms ("polarity" is a kind of...):

oppositeness; opposition (the relation between opposed entities)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "polarity"):

positiveness; positivity (the character of the positive electric pole)

negativeness; negativity (the character of the negative electric pole)

Derivation:

polar (having a pair of equal and opposite charges)

 Context examples 

There is partial loss of normal epithelial polarity.

(Gleason Pattern 4, NCI Thesaurus)

This gene plays a role in signal transduction and may play a role in tissue polarity or development.

(FZD6 Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

In the nervous system, CRMP2 acts as a mediator of growth cone collapse as well as modifies axon number, length, and neuronal polarity.

(Lacosamide, NCI Thesaurus)

There is nuclear elongation, mild pleomorphism and loss of polarity, mucin depletion, and increased number of mitotic figures.

(Low Grade Dysplasia in Barrett Esophagus, NCI Thesaurus)

An electrocardiographic finding for the P wave that is atypical either for the shape, duration, amplitude, axis or polarity.

(P Wave Abnormality by ECG Finding, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes serine/threonine-protein kinase Nek3 protein, is involved in neuronal morphogenesis and polarity.

(NEK3 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Frizzled 6 may function in tissue polarity, development and carcinogenesis.

(Frizzled 6, NCI Thesaurus)

A pattern of prostate carcinoma characterized by almost complete loss of epithelial polarity and luminal differentiation.

(Gleason Pattern 5, NCI Thesaurus)

It may function in cell polarity, cell fate specification and cancer.

(Frizzled 4, NCI Thesaurus)

This gene is involved in the regulation of cell shape, polarity and motility.

(FGFR1OP Gene, NCI Thesaurus)