binary

[ bahy-nuh-ree, -ner-ee ]

/ ˈbaɪ nə ri, -nɛr i /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR binary ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

consisting of, indicating, or involving two.

Mathematics.

of or relating to a system of numerical notation to the base 2, in which each place of a number, expressed as 0 or 1, corresponds to a power of 2. The decimal number 58 appears as 111010 in binary notation, since 58 = 1 × 25 + 1 × 24 + 1 × 23 + 0 × 22 + 1 × 21 + 0 × 20.
of or relating to the digits or numbers used in binary notation.
of or relating to a binary system.
(of an operation) assigning a third quantity to two given quantities, as in the addition of two numbers.

Computers. of, relating to, or written in binary code; programmed or encoded using only the digits 0 and 1: All executable programs on the computer are stored in binary files.

Chemistry. noting a compound containing only two elements or groups, as sodium chloride, methyl bromide, or methyl hydroxide.

Metallurgy. (of an alloy) having two principal constituents.

noun, plural bi·na·ries.

a whole composed of two.

Mathematics. a system of numerical notation to the base 2, in which each place of a number, expressed as 0 or 1, corresponds to a power of 2: to convert decimal to binary.

Also called binary number. Mathematics. a number expressed in the binary system of notation.

Computers. binary code.

Computers. an executable file stored in binary format.

Astronomy. binary star.

RELATED WORDS

double, dual, twice, binate, doubled

Nearby words

bin laden, osama, bin liner, bin-, binal, binarity, binary, binary cell, binary code, binary coded decimal, binary color, binary digit

Origin of binary

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin bīnārius, equivalent to bīn(ī) (see bin-) + -ārius -ary

Can be confused

binary bindery

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for binary

And this, in turn, reinforced the religious vision of a God-given binary.
Intersexuality and God Through the Ages|Candida Moss|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She acts as a sort of lie detector, but proceeds through elegant narrative rather than binary test.
Wonder Woman’s Creation Story Is Wilder Than You Could Ever Imagine|Tom Arnold-Forster|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A little astronomical forensics suggests that these objects used to be a binary: two stars in mutual orbit.
The Weirdest Object in the Universe|Matthew R. Francis|May 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many stars are in binary systems, locked in mutual orbit with another star.
The Hypervelocity Star That’s Being Booted from the Galaxy|Matthew R. Francis|May 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Includes people who do not identify within the binary gender system (i.e., man/woman).
What Each of Facebook’s 51 New Gender Options Means|Debby Herbenick PhD, Aleta Baldwin|February 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But till these binary stars were discovered we had no means of guessing that this law had any force beyond our own solar system.
Through Magic Glasses and Other Lectures|Arabella B. Buckley
The repetition was a survival from the old dance movements in binary form.
The Pianoforte Sonata|J.S. Shedlock
But "binary" stars are actually moving in one system, and revolve round each other as our earth moves round the sun.
Through Magic Glasses and Other Lectures|Arabella B. Buckley
This is a binary star of which the orbit plane passes nearly through the earth.
Astronomical Curiosities|J. Ellard Gore
The nomenclature of acids follows the same general lines as that for binary compounds.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1|Various

British Dictionary definitions for binary

binary

/ (ˈbaɪnərɪ) /

adjective

composed of, relating to, or involving two; dual

maths computing of, relating to, or expressed in binary notation or binary code

(of a compound or molecule) containing atoms of two different elements

metallurgy (of an alloy) consisting of two components or phases

(of an educational system) consisting of two parallel forms of education such as the grammar school and the secondary modern in Britain

maths logic (of a relation, expression, or operation) applying to two elements of its domain; having two argument places; dyadic

noun plural -ries

something composed of two parts or things

astronomy See binary star

short for binary weapon

Word Origin for binary

C16: from Late Latin bīnārius; see bin-

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

Medicine definitions for binary

binary

[ bī′nə-rē ]

adj.

Characterized by or consisting of two parts or components; twofold.

Consisting of or containing only molecules having two kinds of atoms.

Science definitions for binary

binary

[ bī′nə-rē ]

Having two parts.

Mathematics Based on the number 2 or the binary number system.

Culture definitions for binary

binary

[ (beye-nuh-ree, beye-ner-ee) ]

Anything composed of two parts. In modern computers, information is stored in banks of components that act like switches. Since switches can be either on or off, they have a binary character, and we say that the computer uses “binary arithmetic” to do its work.

binary

adjective

noun, plural bi·na·ries.

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of binary

Can be confused

Examples from the Web for binary

British Dictionary definitions for binary

binary

adjective

noun plural -ries

Word Origin for binary

Medicine definitions for binary

binary

adj.

Science definitions for binary

binary

Culture definitions for binary

binary