denominator

American  

[dih-nom-uh-ney-ter] / dɪˈnɒm əˌneɪ tər /

noun

1. Arithmetic. that term of a fraction, usually written under the line, that indicates the number of equal parts into which the unit is divided; divisor.

2. something shared or held in common; standard.

3. Archaic. a person or thing that denominates.

---

denominator British  

/ dɪˈnɒmɪˌneɪtə /

noun

1. the divisor of a fraction, as 8 in 7/ 8 Compare numerator

2. archaic a person or thing that denominates or designates

---

denominator Scientific  

/ dĭ-nŏm′ə-nā′tər /

1. The number below or to the right of the line in a fraction, indicating the number of equal parts into which one whole is divided. For example, in the fraction 2/7, 7 is the denominator.

---

denominator Cultural  

1. In mathematics, the number that appears on the bottom of a fraction. In the fraction 2/3, the denominator is 3. (Compare numerator.)

---

Etymology

Origin of denominator

1535–45; < Medieval Latin dēnōminātor, equivalent to Latin dēnōminā ( re ) ( denominate ) + -tor -tor

Compare meaning

How does denominator compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• numerator vs. denominator

Explanation

Write a fraction like 1/2 and the denominator is the number on the bottom. In this case, the 2. Another word for denominator is divisor. Both of these words refer to the number under the line in a common fraction. Similarly, when you're talking about statistical values, a denominator refers to the whole number or population from which samples are taken. The national census, for example, gathers the total number of people and households in the country so that there is a denominator by which to compare statistics like unemployment or welfare.

Example Sentences

Many have dismissed the fruity videos as so-called artificial intelligence "slop" -- poor-quality content churned out to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

If Gellar didn’t have such a spellbinding screen presence, one might think she was the common denominator factor in all of these failed series.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

Sports, at its finest, can act as a cultural common denominator for our ever-fractious and divided polity.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

It speaks to a common denominator regarding privacy of data and use of data.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

Alone in my bedroom, I studied pictures of intelligent men and searched for a common denominator.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Related Words

• attribute
• character
• feature
• habit
• idiosyncrasy
• manner
• oddity
• peculiarity
• quality
• quirk
• trick
• virtue