entropy: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low frequency in everyday speech; high frequency in technical/scientific contexts.Primarily technical/scientific/academic. Used figuratively in general discourse.
Quick answer
What does “entropy” mean?
A scientific measure of the disorder, randomness, or lack of available energy in a closed system.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A scientific measure of the disorder, randomness, or lack of available energy in a closed system.
A gradual decline into disorder, chaos, or unpredictability; a lack of order or predictability in any system.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage.
Connotations
Same technical and figurative connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally low in general speech; equally high in relevant technical fields.
Grammar
How to Use “entropy” in a Sentence
The entropy of [system] is high/low.[Process] results in an increase in entropy.According to the second law, entropy always [increases/decreases].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “entropy” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The system is entropy-ing towards chaos. (extremely rare, non-standard)
American English
- The codebase entropy-fied over years of patches. (jargon, non-standard)
adverb
British English
- The files were organised entropically. (rare, from 'entropically')
American English
- The network failed entropically. (rare, from 'entropically')
adjective
British English
- The entropic decay of the empire was evident. (from 'entropic')
American English
- We observed an entropic process in the data. (from 'entropic')
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Used metaphorically to describe organisational decline: 'We must combat the entropy in our supply chain.'
Academic
Very common in Physics, Chemistry, Information Theory, Mathematics. 'The entropy change was calculated for the reaction.'
Everyday
Rare. Figurative use: 'After the manager left, the office descended into entropy.'
Technical
The core context. Precise, quantitative usage in thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and information science.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “entropy”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “entropy”
- Using 'entropy' as a synonym for 'energy' (incorrect).
- Pronouncing it /enˈtrɒpi/ (incorrect stress).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. In science, it's a precise measure. Figuratively, it implies a trend toward chaos, not chaos itself.
In an isolated system, no (per the second law). In an open system, local entropy can decrease if it increases elsewhere (e.g., living organisms).
A measure of the uncertainty or randomness in a message or data set, central to information theory and data compression.
Scientifically, it's neutral—a fundamental property. Figuratively, it often carries a negative connotation of decline or loss of structure.
A scientific measure of the disorder, randomness, or lack of available energy in a closed system.
Entropy is usually primarily technical/scientific/academic. used figuratively in general discourse. in register.
Entropy: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɛntrəpi/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɛntrəpi/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Figurative] The entropy of the project was increasing daily.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: ENergy disTROPY – when energy is disordered, you get entropy.
Conceptual Metaphor
ENTROPY IS DISORDER / ENTROPY IS THE ARROW OF TIME.
Practice
Quiz
In its most common figurative use, 'entropy' suggests: