convolution

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convolution

/kɒn.vəˈluːʃ(ə)n/ UK
/kɑn.vəˈluːʃ(ə)n/ US

Rhymes with -uːʃən

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Latin convolutus (“to roll together”), past participle of convolvere, from con- + volvere (“to roll”), with the suffix -tion. Equivalent to convolute + -ion. The mathematical sense is a semantic calque from Faltung.

noun convolutions

countable, uncountable A twist or fold.
countable, uncountable Any of the folds on the surface of the brain.
countable, uncountable The shape of something rotating; a vortex.
countable, uncountable The state or condition of being convoluted.
countable, uncountable A mathematical operation on two functions that produces a third that expresses how the shape of one is modified by the other; the integral of the product of the two functions after one is reflected about the y-axis and shifted along the x-axis. 1934, Aurel Wintner, The proper method in dealing with distribution functions and their convolutions (“Faltungen”) is the method of Fourier transforms, first applied systematically by Levy in his book on the calculus of probability.
countable, uncountable A function which maps a tuple of sequences into a sequence of tuples.
countable, uncountable One 360° turn in a spring or similar helix.

Translations

Every language

noun any of the folds on the surface of the brain

Français	circonvolution

noun mathematics: mathematical operation on two functions

Español	convolución
中文	卷積 /卷积 juǎnjī, 褶積 /褶积 zhějī
Italiano	convoluzione

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MLA

"convolution." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/convolution. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

convolution. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/convolution

Chicago

"convolution." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/convolution.

BibTeX

@misc{convolution_2026,
  title = {convolution},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/convolution},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}