Permutation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌpɜː.mjʊˈteɪ.ʃən/

Definitions

1. An ordered arrangement of a set of items where the sequence matters, or the act of rearranging elements into different sequences
2. A rearrangement of a group of items in which the order is significant, or the process of altering the sequence of elements to form various combinations
3. The act of changing the arrangement of a specific set of items to create different sequences, highlighting the importance of order

Etymology: "Permutation" comes from Latin "permutare," meaning "to change thoroughly" or "to exchange," built from "per-" (through, thoroughly) and "mutare" (to change). The Latin noun "permutatio" carried the sense of exchange or alteration, and it reached English through Old French and Medieval Latin, arriving in Middle English as "permutacioun." The core idea of swapping one thing for another survives in the word's first meanings. The mathematical sense that dominates today grew out of that broader notion of change. When a set of items is rearranged into a different order, each new arrangement is a change of position, and so the word narrowed to describe the orderings themselves. A permutation of letters, numbers, or playing cards is simply one way of exchanging their places.

Synonyms: arrangement, combination, reordering, transposition, variation

Antonyms: order, arrangement