coefficient
Americannoun
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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
- coefficiently adverb
Etymology
Origin of coefficient
First recorded in 1655–65, coefficient is from the New Latin word coefficient- (stem of coefficiēns ). See co-, efficient
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.
The experiments revealed that bridgmanite's ability to trap water, measured by its water partition coefficient, increases sharply at higher temperatures.
From Science Daily
In the U.S. between 2019 and 2021, the Gini coefficient—a method of measuring household income and consumption— dropped by the greatest amount on record External link, indicating a sharp fall in inequality.
From Barron's
According to Kim, people often think first of Pearson's correlation coefficient when they hear the word agreement, since it is introduced early in statistics education and remains a fundamental tool.
From Science Daily
However, standard measures of income inequality, such as the Gini coefficient, changed little over the period.
Such has been Union's progress in European competitions in recent years, they actually have a significantly higher coefficient than Newcastle.
From BBC
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.
