Immutation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A process that results in a shift in form or state indicates a significant alteration from its initial condition
2. The act or process by which something undergoes a change in its form or characteristics
3. A transformation involving a modification in shape, structure, or essence

Etymology: "Immutation" is a plain Latin-derived formation with little story attached. It comes from Latin "immutatio," a noun built on "immutare," meaning "to change," which itself combines the prefix "in-" (here meaning "not" or "into") with "mutare," "to change." The Latin "mutare" is the root behind English words such as "mutable" and "mutation," so "immutation" sits in a family of change-related words. The verb "immute," from which the noun's source verb derives, is an older English word, so the noun is best understood as a transformation of the verb's sense rather than a separate coinage. Its core idea is alteration: changing the form, structure, or essence of something, which is the meaning the word carries today.

Synonyms: change, alteration, modification

Antonyms: stability, constancy