polarity /pōler″itē/ [L, polus] , 1. the existence or manifestation of opposing qualities, tendencies, or emotions, such as pleasure and pain, love and hate, strength and weakness, dependence and independence, and masculinity and femininity. The concept is central to various psychotherapeutic approaches, such as client-centered therapy, in which the key to self-actualization lies in accepting polarity within oneself. 2. (in physics) the distinction between a negative and a positive electric charge.
