different between polarize vs polarity

English

Alternative forms

• polarise (UK)

Etymology

From French polariser.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?po?l??a?z/

Verb

polarize (third-person singular simple present polarizes, present participle polarizing, simple past and past participle polarized)

1. (transitive, US) To cause to have a polarization.
2. (transitive, US) To cause a group to be divided into extremes.

Derived terms

• polarization
• polarized light

Translations

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p??lær?ti/
• Rhymes: -æ??ti

Noun

polarity (countable and uncountable, plural polarities)

1. The separation, alignment or orientation of something into two opposed poles.
2. Either of the two extremes of such attributes.
3. (chemistry) The dipole-dipole intermolecular forces between the slightly positively-charged end of one molecule to the negative end of another or the same molecule. ^Wp
4. (embryology) The division of an embryo into an animal pole and a vegetal pole within a blastula. ^Wp
5. (microbiology) Spatial differences in shape, structure, and function within a cell. ^Wp
6. (electricity) A measure of the electrical potential at the ends of a circuit. ^Wp
7. (physics) The direction of a wave's amplitude or its being in phase or antiphase.
8. (grammar) The grammatical category of the affirmative and the negative. ^Wp
9. (projective geometry) A duality that is an involution, i.e. has order two. ^Wp
10. (mathematics) An indicator of the positivity or negativity of a literal. ^Wp
11. (politics) Any of the various ways in which power is distributed within the international system. ^Wp
12. (gender) The concept of dualism between masculine and feminine. ^Wp
13. (physics) Ellipsis of magnetic polarity
14. (geometry) Ellipsis of trilinear polarity

Derived terms

• magnetic polarity
• trilinear polarity
• polarity epoch

Translations