infinity
English
Etymology
From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French infinité, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin infinitas (“unlimitedness”), from negative prefix in- (“not”), + finis (“end”), + noun of state suffix -tas.
Pronunciation
Noun
infinity (countable and uncountable, plural infinities)
- (uncountable) Endlessness, unlimitedness, absence of a beginning, end or limits to size.
- (countable, mathematics) A number that has an infinite numerical value that cannot be counted.
- 2012 January, Michael Riordan, “Tackling Infinity”, in American Scientist[1], volume 100, number 1, page 86:
- Some of the most beautiful and thus appealing physical theories, including quantum electrodynamics and quantum gravity, have been dogged for decades by infinities that erupt when theorists try to prod their calculations into new domains. Getting rid of these nagging infinities has probably occupied far more effort than was spent in originating the theories.
- (countable, topology, mathematical analysis) An idealised point which is said to be approached by sequences of values whose magnitudes increase without bound.
- (uncountable) A number which is very large compared to some characteristic number. For example, in optics, an object which is much further away than the focal length of a lens is said to be "at infinity", as the distance of the image from the lens varies very little as the distance increases further.
- (uncountable) The symbol ∞.
Usage notes
In mathematics there are several different infinities; see transfinite.
Synonyms
- (absence of a beginning, end or limits to size): See also Thesaurus:infinity
Antonyms
Related terms
Translations
endlessness, unlimitedness, absence of end or limit
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a number that has an infinite, uncountable numerical value
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a number which is very large compared to some characteristic number
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the symbol ∞
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Translations to be checked
See also
Categories:
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 4-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/ɪnɪti
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- en:Mathematics
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- en:Mathematical analysis