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 my own library visits I'd also frequently wind up with something from a different place in the Dewey decimal system too.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 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

Who needs a decimal system for weights and measures?

From Washington Post • Apr. 25, 2022

The Inca incorporated the ayllu structure into a governing system based on the decimal system.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2012

More than 5,000 years ago, before the time of the pyramids, the ancient Egyptians designed a system for transcribing their decimal system, where pictures stood for numbers.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife