nonreciprocity
|non-rec-ip-ro-ci-ty|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnˌrɛsəˈprɑsəti/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnˌrɛsɪˈprɒsɪti/
absence of mutual return
Etymology
'nonreciprocity' originates from English components: the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non' meaning 'not') combined with 'reciprocity', which ultimately comes from Latin 'reciprocus' meaning 'returning'.
'reciprocity' changed from Latin 'reciprocus' into Old French 'reciprocité' and then into Middle English forms before becoming the modern English word 'reciprocity'; the modern term 'nonreciprocity' is formed by adding the productive English negating prefix 'non-' to that noun.
Initially related to the notion of 'returning' (Latin), 'reciprocity' came to mean 'mutual exchange' in English; with the prefix 'non-' it now denotes the absence or negation of that mutual exchange or the lack of bidirectional equivalence.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the absence or lack of reciprocity; a one-sided situation in which actions, benefits, obligations, or feelings are not mutually returned.
The nonreciprocity in their relationship caused growing resentment on one side.
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Noun 2
in physics, engineering, or optics: a property of a device or system in which transmission, response, or coupling differs depending on direction (i.e., the system is not reciprocal).
Nonreciprocity is exploited in optical isolators to prevent back reflections from reaching a laser.
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Last updated: 2025/12/28 07:23