Definition of Asymmetrical Exchange
(noun) A marriage system in which the males from one group cannot marry the females of second group and must marry the females from a third group.
Asymmetrical Exchange Pronunciation
Syllabification: a·sym·met·ri·cal ex·change
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /ay-suh-mEt-ri-kuhl iks-chAYnj/
- British English – /ay-si-mE-tri-kuhl iks-chAYnj/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /ˌeɪsəˈmɛtrɪkəl ɪksˈʧeɪnʤ/
- British English – /ˌæsɪˈmɛtrɪkəl ɪksˈʧeɪnʤ/
Usage Notes
- Plural: asymmetrical exchanges
- Asymmetrical exchange is the opposite of symmetrical exchange.
Additional Information
- Family and Kinship Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
- Word origin of “asymmetrical” and “exchange” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
Related Terms
Cite the Definition of Asymmetrical Exchange
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “asymmetrical exchange.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved March 28, 2023 (https://sociologydictionary.org/asymmetrical-exchange/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
asymmetrical exchange. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/asymmetrical-exchange/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “asymmetrical exchange.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed March 28, 2023. https://sociologydictionary.org/asymmetrical-exchange/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“asymmetrical exchange.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2023. <https://sociologydictionary.org/asymmetrical-exchange/>.