binary

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

/ ˈbaɪ nə ri, -nɛr i /

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See synonyms for: binary / binaries 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.

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Origin of binary

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH binary

binary , bindery

Words nearby binary

bimotor, bimotored, bin, binal, binarity, binary, binary cell, binary code, binary-coded decimal, binary-coded decimal system, binary color

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use binary in a sentence

It’s interested in the time she spends crossing the barrier between gender binaries.
The history of Mulan, from a 6th-century ballad to the live-action Disney movie|Constance Grady|September 4, 2020|Vox
A small percentage declined to state or identified as non-binary.
More than 70% of SEOs in the U.S. are men, make more than female colleagues|Greg Sterling|August 24, 2020|Search Engine Land
Each pixel received a binary 1 or 0 depending on whether or not it contained part of the image.
The Bias in the Machine - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Sidney Perkowitz|August 19, 2020|Nautilus
She found herself forced to explain an entirely different social world by relying only on the binary categories of female and male that she knew from her own society.
Gender Is What You Make of It - Issue 88: Love & Sex|Charles King|August 5, 2020|Nautilus

Instead of using traditional binary code, which represents information with 0s and 1s, they use quantum bits, or qubits.
The quest for quantum-proof encryption just made a leap forward|Patrick O'Neill|August 3, 2020|MIT Technology Review
There was a lot of positive feedback from people interested in non-gender binary people.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And it is difficult to object to same-sex marriage when so many binary-defying unions have already taken place.
Intersexuality and God Through the Ages|Candida Moss|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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
On this principle is founded the admirable binary nomenclature of botany and zoology.
A System of Logic: Ratiocinative and Inductive|John Stuart Mill
This is illustrated by the two cylinders of the compound engine and by the duplication noticed in the binary engine.
A History of the Growth of the Steam-Engine|Robert H. Thurston
The family system is a combination of the solar and the binary systems.
A New Atmosphere|Gail Hamilton
Binary or multiple stars, which are extraordinarily numerous.
Climatic Changes|Ellsworth Huntington
Sonata-form, as will be shown later on, has been evolved from old binary form.
The Pianoforte Sonata|J.S. Shedlock

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

Medical 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.

Scientific definitions for binary

binary

[ bī′nə-rē ]

Having two parts.

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

Cultural 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

Origin of binary

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH binary

Words nearby binary

Words related to binary

How to use binary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for binary

Word Origin for binary

Medical definitions for binary

Scientific definitions for binary

Cultural definitions for binary