Added 9 October 2026
entropy
/ˈɛntɹəpi/ noun
In Latin: entropia Coined: 1865, by Rudolph Clausius Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about entropy at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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(communication theory) a numerical measure of the uncertainty of an outcome.
the signal contained thousands of bits of information
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(thermodynamics) a thermodynamic quantity representing the amount of energy in a system that is no longer available for doing mechanical work.
entropy increases as matter and energy in the universe degrade to an ultimate state of inert uniformity
Origin
First attested in 1867, as the translation of German Entropie, coined in 1865 by Rudolph Clausius in analogy to Energie (“energy”), replacing the root of Ancient Greek ἔργον (érgon, “work”) by Ancient Greek τροπή (tropḗ, “transformation”)).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)