decimals

Cultural

Fractional numbers (see fraction) expressed as whole numbers of tenths, hundredths, thousandths, and so on. One-half, for example, is 0.5 in decimal terms.

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.

Despite leaving school at a young age and initially finding terms like "decimals" and "algebra" intimidating, Mr Elsom is said to have quite a talent for working with figures.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2025

The leaders of those and other rate stats — expressed with decimals — are now sprinkled with Negro League standouts.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2024

Eventually she leads us toward more abstract concepts such as the polar coordinate system, a graphical approach to defining a point using distance and angle, as well as irrational numbers and decimals that repeat infinitely.

From Scientific American • Jun. 20, 2023

Just as with multiplication, division of signed decimals is very much like dividing whole numbers.

From Textbooks • May 6, 2020

Whether this report is accurate or not, I’m convinced that a sizable minority of adult Americans wouldn’t be able to pass a simple test on percentages, decimals, fractions, and conversions from one to another.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023