permutation
|per-mu-ta-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌpɝːmjuˈteɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌpɜːmjuˈteɪʃ(ə)n/
rearrangement / change of order
Etymology
'permutation' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'permutatio' (from 'permutare'), where 'per-' meant 'completely/through' and 'mutare' meant 'to change'.
'permutation' changed from Latin 'permutatio' into Old French/Medieval Latin forms and entered Middle English (e.g. Middle English 'permutacioun'), eventually becoming the modern English word 'permutation'.
Initially, it meant 'a thorough change or exchange'; over time it came to be used more specifically for 'a change of order' and, in mathematics, for an ordered arrangement of elements.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an act of changing the order or arrangement of items; an exchange or rearrangement.
The permutation of the two parts resulted in a better workflow.
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Noun 2
in mathematics, one of the possible ordered arrangements of a set of elements (order matters).
There are 6 permutations of the letters A, B, and C.
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Last updated: 2025/12/23 22:39