decimal system

American  

noun

1. a system of counting or measurement, the units of which are powers of 10: the numerical system in common worldwide use.

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decimal system British  

noun

1. the number system in general use, having a base of ten, in which numbers are expressed by combinations of the ten digits 0 to 9

2. a system of measurement, such as the metric system, in which the multiple and submultiple units are related to a basic unit by powers of ten

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decimal system Scientific  

1. A number system based on units of 10 and using decimal notation.

2. A system of measurement in which all derived units are multiples of 10 of the fundamental units.

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Etymology

Origin of decimal system

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

In politics, as in many other areas of human endeavor, the decimal system assumes importance, and we often refer to hundred-day periods.

From Washington Post • May 1, 2023

And all the guests, the soldiers who had done derring-do, and the librarians with their decimal system, everyone was just like “Oh, my gosh, it’s the queen.”

From Seattle Times • Dec. 15, 2022

Think of the Dewey decimal system in a library.

From Salon • Sep. 1, 2018

The metric system is a decimal system, meaning that the units are scaled on multiples of 10.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2018

A gangly seventh grader, a foot taller than any of her competitors, Marjory Muldauer had memorized the ten categories of the Dewey decimal system before she entered preschool.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein