Polarity

English Meaning

That quality or condition of a body in virtue of which it exhibits opposite, or contrasted, properties or powers, in opposite, or contrasted, parts or directions; or a condition giving rise to a contrast of properties corresponding to a contrast of positions, as, for example, attraction and repulsion in the opposite parts of a magnet, the dissimilar phenomena corresponding to the different sides of a polarized ray of light, etc.

1. Intrinsic polar separation, alignment, or orientation, especially of a physical property: magnetic polarity; ionic polarity.
2. An indicated polar extreme: an electric terminal with positive polarity.
3. The possession or manifestation of two opposing attributes, tendencies, or principles: political polarity.