decimal

[ des-uh-muhl, des-muhl ]

adjective

1. pertaining to tenths or to the number 10.
2. proceeding by tens:

   a decimal system.

noun

1. decimal fraction.

decimal

/ ˈdɛsɪməl /

noun

1. Also calleddecimal fraction a fraction that has a denominator of a power of ten, the power depending on or deciding the decimal place. It is indicated by a decimal point to the left of the numerator, the denominator being omitted. Zeros are inserted between the point and the numerator, if necessary, to obtain the correct decimal place
2. any number used in the decimal system

adjective

1. 1. relating to or using powers of ten
   2. of the base ten
2. prenominal expressed as a decimal

decimal

/ dĕs′ə-məl /

1. A representation of a real number using the base ten and decimal notation, such as 201.4, 3.89, or 0.0006.
2. A decimal fraction.

Derived Forms

• ˈdecimally, adverb

Other Words From

• deci·mal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of decimal¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from Medieval Latin decimālis “of tenths,” equivalent to Latin decim(a) “tenth” (derivative of decem “ten” ) + -ālis adjective suffix; ten, -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of decimal¹

C17: from Medieval Latin decimālis of tithes, from Latin decima a tenth, from decem ten

Example Sentences

It’s possible that the data shown above represents something else, but the fact that it includes decimals indicates that this is something other than actual data.

From Washington Post

Some kitchen scales will display weight with fractions, some will use decimals, and some do both.

From Popular-Science

This process, called hadronic vacuum polarization, contributes a small correction to the muon’s gyromagnetic ratio starting in the seventh decimal place.

From Quanta Magazine

If you were trying to encode Pi with a 64-bit computer, you could stretch it out to 4 times as many decimal places as a 32-bit computer.

From Singularity Hub 

The trick here is to linearly scale our list of numbers, so 0 becomes -8 and 1 becomes 7, and the decimals map to the integers in the middle.

From MIT Technology Review

As  Marcus says, the devil is often in the details in cases like this, “some decimal point in the wrong place.”

From The Daily Beast

The first decimal trituration was given in doses of two grains gradually increased to ten grains every two hours.

From Project Gutenberg

All saw timber is scaled by the Scribner Decimal C log rule.

From Project Gutenberg

These are made in different patterns, having either decimal divisions or the vulgar fractions.

From Project Gutenberg

The dropping of terminal decimals makes a small decimal difference in the result in the different formulas.

From Project Gutenberg

For convenience the metrical table is given, showing lengths in feet and inches, in which only three decimal points are used.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• figure
• statistic
• sum
• total