Definition
Parity
Parity is the property that tells whether an integer is even or odd.
What it means
Parity ignores the exact size and keeps only the pair result: does everything make pairs, or is one left? That lets you predict whether some answers are even or odd before doing the full calculation.
Remember it
Parity keeps the pair-check: no spare or one spare.
Example
48 has even parity and 17 has odd parity. An even integer plus an odd integer has odd parity, so 48 + 17 must be odd; the sum 65 confirms it.
Watch for
In this sense, parity classifies integers. A number such as 3.5 is neither an even integer nor an odd integer.
Common mix-up
Parity does not mean two quantities are equal. It tells which of two classes—even or odd—an integer belongs to.
Exact meaning
Parity is an integer’s even-or-odd classification. Integers divisible by 2 have even parity; integers that are not divisible by 2 have odd parity.