Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Not synchronous; not occurring or existing at the same time or having the same period or phase: Describes events, processes, or signals that do not happen simultaneously or are not coordinated in time.
   • (Digital communication) Pertaining to a transmission technique that does not require a common clock between the communicating devices; timing signals are derived from special characters in the data stream itself: Describes a method of data transfer where the sender and receiver do not share a timing signal, and the data is self-clocking.

Usage Examples

• General (Not Simultaneous):
  • The students participated in an asynchronous online course, watching lectures and completing assignments on their own schedules.
  • In asynchronous communication like email, there is a delay between sending a message and receiving a reply.
• Technical (Digital Communication):
  • The old modem used an asynchronous protocol to send data over the telephone line.
  • Serial ports often use asynchronous transmission for sending bytes of data one after another.

Advanced Usage

• "Asynchronous learning": An educational method where students learn the same material at different times and locations, often via pre-recorded videos and online forums.
  • The university offers both synchronous and asynchronous learning options for its degree programs.
• "Asynchronous programming": A programming paradigm that allows a computer program to initiate a potentially long-running task and continue to be responsive to other events without waiting for that task to finish.
  • JavaScript uses asynchronous programming to handle operations like fetching data from a server without freezing the web page.

Variants and Related Words

• Asynchronously (adverb): In an asynchronous manner.
  • The team worked asynchronously across different time zones.
• Asynchronicity (noun): The state or quality of being asynchronous.
  • The asynchronicity of the communication allowed for more flexible collaboration.
• Synchronous (adjective): The opposite; happening at the same time or rate.
  • A live video meeting is a form of synchronous communication.

Synonyms

• Non-concurrent: Not happening at the same time.
• Out of sync: Not operating in unison or at the same time.
• Self-clocking (technical, for data transmission): Having timing information embedded within the data signal.

Antonyms

• Synchronous: Occurring or existing at the same time.
• Simultaneous: Happening, existing, or done at the same time.
• Concurrent: Existing, happening, or done at the same time.

Adjective

1. not synchronous; not occurring or existing at the same time or having the same period or phase
2. (digital communication) pertaining to a transmission technique that does not require a common clock between the communicating devices; timing signals are derived from special characters in the data stream itself