coefficient
Americannoun
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coefficients
plural
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Mathematics. a number or quantity placed (generally) before and multiplying another quantity, as 3 in the expression 3x.
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Physics. a number that is constant for a given substance, body, or process under certain specified conditions, serving as a measure of one of its properties.
coefficient of friction.
adjective
noun
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maths
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a numerical or constant factor in an algebraic term
the coefficient of the term 3xyz is 3
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the product of all the factors of a term excluding one or more specified variables
the coefficient of x in 3axyz is 3ayz
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physics a value that relates one physical quantity to another
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A number or symbol multiplied with a variable or an unknown quantity in an algebraic term. For example, 4 is the coefficient in the term 4 x, and x is the coefficient in x (a + b).
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A numerical measure of a physical or chemical property that is constant for a system under specified conditions. The speed of light in a vacuum, for example, is a constant.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of coefficient
First recorded in 1655–65, coefficient is from the New Latin word coefficient- (stem of coefficiēns ). See co-, efficient
Explanation
In math and science, a coefficient is a constant term related to the properties of a product. In the equation that measures friction, for example, the number that always stays the same is the coefficient. In plain English, coefficient means "joining together to produce a result." Sometimes people use the word to talk about social phenomena, like the coefficient factors of vanity and self-loathing in a celebrity's alcoholic demise. But mostly you'll encounter it in math and science. In algebra, the coefficient is the number that you multiply a variable by, like the 4 in 4x=y. In chemistry, when you see a number in front of a chemical like 2H2o, you're looking at the coefficient.
Vocabulary lists containing coefficient
The ACT Math Test: Number and Quantity
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Expressions and Equations
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Algebra
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Dietmar Kuhbauer's side have a lower coefficient than Celje, but the Austrian league is ranked much higher than Slovenia's.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
But you don’t have to compute the coefficient to know that matte tiles are better than shiny ones, and small tiles are better than the big ones because the grout lines provide friction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Because the antennas have different geometries, each one also has a different propagation coefficient, which describes how light moves through the structure.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
The place reserved for the Champions League titleholders will pass to the league champions in qualifying with the best Uefa coefficient.
From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2026
The series of equations we needed to work described the parameters of thrust coefficient, nozzle-throat area, combustion-chamber cross-sectional areas, and velocity of the gases predicted for any particular propellant.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
"Because the antennas have very different propagation coefficients, when we put them close together, essentially each antenna doesn't 'see' the antenna next to it. Therefore, it won't couple with its neighbor," Garcia Coleto says.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
The correlation coefficients of gold to the EPU and the GPR are positive, while bitcoin’s correlations to these two risk indexes are both inverse.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 23, 2026
They will be in four pots, based on Uefa club coefficients, and every club plays two teams from each pot.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2024
Inbreeding coefficients are commonly used by biologists to assess the health of an entire population of creatures.
From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2023
Ifx represents the vector of variables, b and c are vectors of known coefficients, and A is a matrix of coefficients, determine the maximum value of the objective function cTx .
From "Ungifted" by Gordon Korman
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.
