(mathematics) a relation between a pair of integers: if both integers are odd or both are even they have the same parity; if one is odd and the other is even they have different parity
"parity is often used to check the integrity of transmitted data"
(computer science) a bit that is used in an error detection procedure in which a 0 or 1 is added to each group of bits so that it will have either an odd number of 1's or an even number of 1's; e.g., if the parity is odd then any group of bits that arrives with an even number of 1's must contain an error
"The network protocol uses odd parity to detect transmission errors by ensuring every data packet contains an odd number of 1s."
(physics) parity is conserved in a universe in which the laws of physics are the same in a right-handed system of coordinates as in a left-handed system
"In high-energy particle collisions, physicists test whether parity remains conserved by comparing outcomes from right-handed and left-handed coordinate systems."
functional equality
"The new software update finally achieved parity in user interface design between the mobile and desktop versions of the application."
Equality; comparability of strength or intensity.
"The clinic tracks parity by counting how many of their patients' deliveries reach a viable gestational age between 20 and 28 weeks."
The number of delivered pregnancies reaching viable gestational age, usually between 20-28 weeks
In plain English: Parity means being equal to something else, especially when comparing two values that should be the same.
"The market reached parity when stock prices matched their historical average for this time of year."
Usage: In medical contexts, parity specifically counts the total number of births after 20 weeks, regardless of whether the baby survived. Outside medicine, it is often confused with "equality," but while equality implies a state of being equal, parity emphasizes the balance or equivalence between two specific forces or values.
The word parity comes from the Old French term parité, which was borrowed into English via Late Latin as a noun meaning "equality." It ultimately traces back to the Latin root for equal and originally described the state of being on an even footing with something else.