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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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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

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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.

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

But keep in mind that the earnings denominator is historically depressed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026

The common denominator in all these conditions—whether in the lungs, the muscles, or the bones—is overwhelming pain.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.