denominator
Americannoun
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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.
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something shared or held in common; standard.
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Archaic. a person or thing that denominates.
noun
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the divisor of a fraction, as 8 in 7/ 8 Compare numerator
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archaic a person or thing that denominates or designates
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.
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
Greer said the "new order" would involve agreements between smaller groups of countries, rather than "wasting years and even decades to agree on a lowest-common denominator".
From Barron's
That resulted a small denominator within the P/E ratio that artificially inflated the profitability metric.
From MarketWatch
The common denominator: Even when leagues investigate aggressively, the current system relies on prosecutors to finish the job.
From MarketWatch
Sports, at its finest, can act as a cultural common denominator for our ever-fractious and divided polity.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
