# negentropy

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌnɛɡˈɛntɹɒpi/

## Definitions
1. The difference between the entropy of a system and the maximum possible entropy of the same system.
2. The difference between the entropy of a probability distribution and the maximum possible entropy of the same probability distribution.

## Etymology
From nega- + entropy.
A blend of negative + entropy, coined by the French physicist Léon Brillouin (1889–1969). The term negative entropy was introduced by the Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger (1887–1961) in his book What is Life? (1944, based on lectures delivered in February 1943).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/negentropy