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| n. pl. en·tro·pies 1. Symbol S For a closed thermodynamic system, a quantitative measure of the amount of thermal energy not available to do work. 2. A measure of the disorder or randomness in a closed system. 3. A measure of the loss of information in a transmitted message. 4. The tendency for all matter and energy in the universe to evolve toward a state of inert uniformity. 5. The deterioration of a system or society, especially when it seems inevitable: city activists who fought entropy by organizing neighborhood groups. [German Entropie : Greek en-, in; see EN-2 + Greek tropē, transformation; see trep- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] en·tropic (ĕn-trōpĭk, -trŏpĭk) adj. en·tropi·cal·ly adv. |
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