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idempotent

American  
[ahy-duhm-poht-nt, id-uhm-] / ˈaɪ dəmˈpoʊt nt, ˈɪd əm- /

adjective

  1. unchanged when multiplied by itself.

noun

  1. an idempotent element.

idempotent British  
/ ˈɪd-, ˈaɪdəmˌpəʊtənt /

adjective

  1. maths (of a matrix, transformation, etc) not changed in value following multiplication by itself

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of idempotent

First recorded in 1865–70; idem + potent 1

Explanation

In mathematics, a number that is idempotent keeps the same value when multiplied by itself, no matter how many times the function is applied. The word idempotent comes from the Latin words idem, which means "the same," and potent, from potentem, which means "power." For example, one times one always equals one no matter how many times you multiply it. If you press the “pause” button on a video player many times with no new results, the button is idempotent. Can we finish the movie now?

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.