composite number

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. a number that is a multiple of at least two numbers other than itself and 1.

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composite number British  

noun

1. a positive integer that can be factorized into two or more other positive integers Compare prime number

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composite number Scientific  

/ kəm-pŏz′ĭt /

1. An integer that can be divided by at least one other integer besides itself and 1 without leaving a remainder. 24 is a composite number since it can be divided by 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12. No prime numbers are composite numbers.

2. Compare prime number

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Etymology

Origin of composite number

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

For example, in 1934 Soviet mathematician Alexander Gelfond was able to prove that the composite number eπ is transcendental.

From Scientific American • May 23, 2023

That total is a composite number that includes 174 million streams of the 36-track LP and 5,500 copies sold as a complete package.

From New York Times • May 8, 2023

That total is a composite number attributed mostly to streaming, with songs from the album getting nearly 284 million clicks in its opening week.

From New York Times • May 9, 2022

Explain in your own words how to find the prime factorization of a composite number, using any method you prefer.

From Textbooks • Apr. 22, 2020

If a prime of the second form gets into your composite number, then that number cannot be the sum of two squares.

From Amusements in Mathematics by Dudeney, Henry Ernest