permutation

US /ˌpɜrmjəˈteɪʃən/ UK /ˌpɜːmjʊˈteɪʃən/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
an arrangement of items in a particular order, or one of several variations

There are six permutations of these three letters.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · an arrangement of items in... arrangement variation combination ordering rearrangement configuration transformation

Word family

Derived forms permutational

Related forms permutepermutablemutationcommutation

Simplified etymology

Permutation entered English in the late Middle English period and comes from the same root as Latin mutare, “to change.”

Etymology

From Old French permutacion, from Latin permutationem ('a change, exchange'), from permutare ('to change thoroughly, exchange'), from per- ('thoroughly') + mutare ('to change').

permutare Latin mutare Latin *mei- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# permutation

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌpɜrmjəˈteɪʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌpɜːmjʊˈteɪʃən/

## Meanings
1. an arrangement of items in a particular order, or one of several variations

## Examples
- There are six permutations of these three letters.

## Synonyms
- arrangement
- variation
- combination
- ordering
- rearrangement
- configuration
- transformation

## Derived Forms
- permutational

## Related Forms
- permute
- permutable
- mutation
- commutation

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: permutare
- Root: mutare
- Root: *mei-

## Etymology
From Old French permutacion, from Latin permutationem ('a change, exchange'), from permutare ('to change thoroughly, exchange'), from per- ('thoroughly') + mutare ('to change').

## AI Etymology
Permutation comes from Old French permutacion, from Latin permutationem ('a change, exchange'), from permutare ('to change thoroughly, exchange'), from per- ('thoroughly') + mutare ('to change'). The etymological trail includes Latin permutare, Latin mutare, and Proto-Indo-European *mei-. As a noun, permutation means an arrangement of items in a particular order, or one of several variations. The same family is visible in derived forms such as permutational and related forms such as permute, permutable, mutation, and commutation. Morphologically, the word is built from the elements named in its history, so the modern form preserves a visible compound, prefix, or suffix structure.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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