chirality
1 synonym for chirality, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The property of an object having a mirror image that cannot be turned to match the original, found in chemistry, physics and mathematics.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
handedness
How to use chirality
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
molecular chirality
chirality of a molecule
optical chirality
This is a technical term used mainly in scientific writing rather than everyday speech.
Etymology
The word is built from the adjective chiral together with the suffix -ity, which turns an adjective into a noun naming a quality.
Full origin of chirality →Frequently asked questions
What does chirality mean?
It refers to something having a mirror-image form that is not identical to the original, in the way a left hand differs from a right hand.
Is chirality only a chemistry term?
No, it is used in chemistry, physics and mathematics wherever an object and its mirror image cannot be superimposed.
What is another word for chirality?
Handedness is used as a synonym, and the related term enantiomer describes one of a pair of chiral molecules.
