coefficient

American  

[koh-uh-fish-uhnt] / ˌkoʊ əˈfɪʃ ənt /

noun

• coefficients
  plural

1. Mathematics. a number or quantity placed (generally) before and multiplying another quantity, as 3 in the expression 3x.

2. 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.

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adjective

1. acting in consort; cooperating.

coefficient British  

/ ˌkəʊɪˈfɪʃənt /

noun

1. maths

   1. a numerical or constant factor in an algebraic term

      the coefficient of the term 3xyz is 3

   2. the product of all the factors of a term excluding one or more specified variables

      the coefficient of x in 3axyz is 3ayz

2. physics a value that relates one physical quantity to another

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coefficient Scientific  

/ kō′ə-fĭsh′ənt /

1. 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).

2. 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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• coefficiently
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• coefficients
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of coefficient

First recorded in 1655–65, coefficient is from the New Latin word coefficient- (stem of coefficiēns ). See co-, efficient

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

coefficient coefficients

The maximum condensation heat transfer coefficient, which measures a surface's ability to transfer heat, reached approximately 88 kW·m-2·K-1.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 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

Over rolling five-year periods since 1968, the correlation coefficient between monthly changes in gold and the GPR has varied from a low of minus 0.28 to a high of plus 0.33.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026

In an interview, he pointed out that the correlation coefficient rises mechanically during periods of heightened volatility — such as what we’ve seen in recent years.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 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

The last eight consists of seven from the top nine sides based on Uefa coefficients, with Premier League leaders Arsenal the only outliers.

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

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