denominator

[ dih-nom-uh-ney-ter ]

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. Compare numerator ( def 1 ).
2. something shared or held in common; standard.
3. Archaic. a person or thing that denominates.

denominator

/ dɪˈnɒmɪˌneɪtə /

noun

1. See numerator
   the divisor of a fraction, as 8 in 7 8 Compare numerator
2. archaic.
   a person or thing that denominates or designates

denominator

/ 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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of denominator¹

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

Example Sentences

The denominator was 7,381 because that was the sum of the smallest set of integers satisfying the ratios in the problem.

From FiveThirtyEight

If the number of actual cases stays flat and you test more, you would expect the positivity rate to decrease essentially because the denominator is getting bigger.

From Popular-Science

Numbers with large powers of p in the numerators are small, and numbers with larger powers of p in the denominators are large.

From Quanta Magazine

Part of the goal of the Covid-19 dashboard has been to figure out those denominators in order to draw conclusions about prevalence and risk.

From Vox

That was the numerator for our probability, while the denominator was N3.

From FiveThirtyEight

We kind of reduce things to the lowest common denominator, in some ways for good and in some ways not for good.

From The Daily Beast

The common denominator in the most violent protests against Western actions has been when Islam had been insulted.

From The Daily Beast

There is already a damning common denominator between the two shootings: the Cleveland police department itself.

From The Daily Beast

Lowest common denominator campaigning and dumb pandering in this country dates back to at least the presidential election of 1800.

From The Daily Beast

“Let others construct an unchallenging feminism that speaks only to the smallest common denominator,” she writes.

From The Daily Beast

Being a universal common denominator of all theories, it cancels out of all of them alike.

From Project Gutenberg

In a fortuitous assembly of such people the lowest common denominator of morality is easily adopted as the standard.

From Project Gutenberg

Impenetrable wilderness—reduced to a common denominator, thick woods.

From Project Gutenberg

She is a type, an abstraction, a common denominator of ‘creamy English girls.’

From Project Gutenberg

You cannot get a financial common denominator and apply it to armaments.

From Project Gutenberg

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