Definition of polarity Polarity

/powlɛˈɹʌti/ - [powlerutee] - po•lar•i•ty

We found 9 definitions of polarity from 5 different sources.

What does polarity mean?

Noun Plural: polarities
polarity - having an indicated pole (as the distinction between positive and negative electric charges); "he got the polarity of the battery reversed"; "charges of opposite sign"
		sign
		oppositeness, opposition a body of people united in opposing something
		positiveness, positivity an amount greater than zero
polarity - a relation between two opposite attributes or tendencies; "he viewed it as a balanced polarity between good and evil"
		mutual opposition
		oppositeness, opposition a body of people united in opposing something

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polarity (Noun)
The separation, alignment or orientation of something into two opposed poles.
polarity (Noun)
Either of the two extremes of such attributes.
polarity (Noun)
The dipole-dipole intermolecular forces between the slightly positively-charged end of one molecule to the negative end of another or the same molecule.

polarity (n.)
That quality or condition of a body in virtue of which it exhibits opposite, or contrasted, properties or powers, in opposite, or contrasted, parts or directions; or a condition giving rise to a contrast of properties corresponding to a contrast of positions, as, for example, attraction and repulsion in the opposite parts of a magnet, the dissimilar phenomena corresponding to the different sides of a polarized ray of light, etc.
polarity (n.)
A property of the conic sections by virtue of which a given point determines a corresponding right line and a given right line determines a corresponding point. See Polar, n.

Chemical polarity is a feature of chemical bonds, where two different atoms in the same molecule have different electronegativity. As a result, the electrons in the bond are not shared equally by the two atoms. This causes an asymmetrical (polar) electric field. Molecular covalent bonds can be described as polar or nonpolar. Entire molecules can also be described as polar.