absolute value

[ab-suh-loot val-yoo]

noun

Mathematics.

1. Also called numerical value. the magnitude of a quantity, irrespective of sign; the distance of a quantity from zero. The absolute value of a number is symbolized by two vertical lines, as |3| or |−3| is equal to 3.

2. the square root of the sum of the squares of the real and imaginary parts of a given complex number, as |a + b i | is equal to .

absolute value

noun

1. the positive real number equal to a given real but disregarding its sign. Written | x |. Where r is positive, | r | = r = | – r |

2. Also called: modulus. a measure of the magnitude of a complex number, represented by the length of a line in the Argand diagram: | x + i y | = √( x ² + y ²), so | 4 + 3i | = 5

absolute value

1. The value of a number without regard to its sign. For example, the absolute value of +3 (written ‖+3‖) and the absolute value of −3 (written ‖−3‖) are both 3.

Word History and Origins

Origin of absolute value¹

First recorded in 1905–10