en·tro·py (ntr-p) KEY

NOUN:
pl. en·tro·pies


The tendency for all matter and energy in the universe to evolve toward a state of inert uniformity.

Inevitable and steady deterioration of a system or society.

A measure of the disorder or randomness in a closed system.

A measure of the loss of information in a transmitted message.

Symbol S For a closed thermodynamic system, a quantitative measure of the amount of thermal energy not available to do work.