distributive property

[dih-strib-yuh-tiv prop-er-tee]

noun

1. Mathematics.,  the property that terms in an expression may be expanded in a particular way to form an equivalent expression.

Word History and Origins

Origin of distributive property¹

First recorded in 1810–15

Example Sentences

For everyday numbers to make sense, they have to have something called the distributive property, which is best seen through an example.

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This is the distributive property.

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“In math, it’s called the distributive property. In people, it’s called taking care of one another,” he implores.

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Because it is a theorem in category theory, it is stated in a very general and abstract way, but she also showed how to apply it to a more concrete example, the distributive property of multiplication and addition.

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Ms. Ubiarco is giving Sabrina a math lesson — about the distributive property — on a white board in the family’s living room.

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