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Definition of parity - 13 dictionary results

par⋅i⋅ty

1  [par-i-tee]
Use parity in a Sentence
–noun
1. equality, as in amount, status, or character.
2. equivalence; correspondence; similarity; analogy.
3. Finance.
a. equivalence in value in the currency of another country.
b. equivalence in value at a fixed ratio between moneys of different metals.
4. Physics.
a. a property of a wave function, expressed as +1 or −1 and noting the relation of the given function to the function formed when each variable is replaced by its negative, +1 indicating that the functions are identical and −1 that the second function is the negative of the first.
b. Also called intrinsic parity. a number +1 or −1 assigned to each kind of elementary particle in such a way that the product of the parities of the particles in a system of particles multiplied by the parity of the wave function describing the system is unchanged when particles are created or annihilated.
5. a system of regulating prices of farm commodities, usually by government price supports, to provide farmers with the same purchasing power they had in a selected base period.
6. Computers. the condition of the number of items in a set, particularly the number of bits per byte or word, being either even or odd: used as a means for detecting certain errors.
Origin:
1565–75; < LL paritās. See par 1 , -ity

par⋅i⋅ty

2  [par-i-tee]
–noun Obstretrics.
1. the condition or fact of having borne offspring.
2. para 5 (def. 1).
Origin:
1875–80; < L par(ere) to bring forth (cf. parent ) + -ity

par⋅a

5  [par-uh]
–noun, plural par⋅as, par⋅ae  [par-ee] . Obstretrics.
1. Also called parity. a woman's status regarding the bearing of viable offspring: usually followed by a Roman numeral designating the number of times the woman has given birth.
2. the woman herself.
Compare gravida.

Origin:
1880–85; extracted from primapara, multipara, etc.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To parity
par·i·ty 1   (pār'ĭ-tē)   
n.   pl. par·i·ties

  1. Equality, as in amount, status, or value.

  2. Functional equivalence, as in the weaponry or military strength of adversaries: "A problem that has troubled the U.S.-Soviet relationship from the beginning has been the issue of parity" (Charles William Maynes).

  3. The equivalent in value of a sum of money expressed in terms of a different currency at a fixed official rate of exchange.

  4. Equality of prices of goods or securities in two different markets.

  5. A level for farm-product prices maintained by governmental support and intended to give farmers the same purchasing power they had during a chosen base period.

  6. Mathematics The even or odd quality of an integer. If two integers are both odd or both even, they are said to have the same parity; if one is odd and one even, they have different parity.

  7. Abbr. P Physics

    1. An intrinsic symmetry property of subatomic particles that is characterized by the behavior of the wave function of such particles under reflection through the origin of spatial coordinates.

    2. A quantum number, either +1 (even) or -1 (odd), that mathematically describes this property.

    3. The even or odd quality of the number of 1's or 0's in a binary code, often used to determine the integrity of data especially after transmission.

    4. A parity bit.

  8. Computer Science

    1. The even or odd quality of the number of 1's or 0's in a binary code, often used to determine the integrity of data especially after transmission.

    2. A parity bit.


[French parité, from Old French parite, from Late Latin paritās, from pār, par-, equal; see pair.]
par·i·ty 2   (pār'ĭ-tē)   
n.  

  1. The condition of having given birth.

  2. The number of children borne by one woman.


[Latin parere, to give birth, bring forth; see perə-1 in Indo-European roots + -ity.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

parity 
1572, "equality of rank or status," from M.Fr. parité, from L.L. paritas "equality," from L. adj. par (gen. paris) "equal" (see pair (n.)). Meaning "condition in which adversaries have equal resources" is from 1955, originally in ref. to the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Financial Dictionary

Parity

1. In general, a situation of equality. Parity can occur in many different contexts, but it always means that two things are equal.

2. The official value.

3. In an exchange market, when all brokers bidding for the same security have equal standing due to identical bids.

Investopedia Commentary

1. For example, in the foreign-exchange market, currencies are at parity when their exchange rate is exactly 1 to 1.

2. In other words, the par value.

3. When parity occurs, the market must determine which bidding broker will obtain the security by alternative means. Therefore, the winning bid is typically awarded by random draw.

Related Links

Put-Call Parity and Arbitrage Opportunity

See also: Broker, Exchange, Market Maker, Par Value

Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
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Financial Dictionary

parity

The state of an option when its premium plus the strike price is equal to the market price of the underlying stock. If Amazon.com stock is selling at $17 per share, an option to buy the stock at $15 would be selling at parity if its premium is $2. See also conversion parity.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 2para
Pronunciation: 'par-&
Function: adjective
1 : relating to, characterized by, or being two positions in the benzenering that are separated by two carbon atoms
2 : of, relating to, or being a diatomic molecule (as of hydrogen) in which the nuclei of the atoms are spinning in opposite directions

Main Entry: par·i·ty
Pronunciation: 'par-&t-E
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ties
1 : the state or factof having borne offspring parity or nulliparity>
2 : the number of times a female has given birth counting multiple births as one and usually includingstillbirths parity were highly correlated> parity greater than 4 and a gravidity greater than 6>—compare GRAVIDITY 2
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

para par·a (pār'ə)
n.
A woman who has given birth to an infant or infants.

parity par·i·ty (pār'ĭ-tē)
n.
The state of having given birth to an infant or infants.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Computing Dictionary

parity storage, communications
An extra bit added to a byte or word to reveal errors in storage (in RAM or disk) or transmission. Even (odd) parity means that the parity bit is set so that there are an even (odd) number of one bits in the word, including the parity bit. A single parity bit can only reveal single bit errors since if an even number of bits are wrong then the parity bit will not change. Moreover, it is not possible to tell which bit is wrong, as it is with more sophisticated error detection and correction systems.
See also longitudinal parity, checksum, cyclic redundancy check.
(1996-03-01)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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