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idempotent

[ ahy-duhm-poht-nt, id-uhm- ]
/ ˈaɪ dəmˈpoʊt nt, ˈɪd əm- /
Mathematics

adjective

unchanged when multiplied by itself.

noun

an idempotent element.

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endless and unavailing, as labor or a task.
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Origin of idempotent

First recorded in 1865–70; idem + potent1

Words nearby idempotent

ideational apraxia, ideatum, idée fixe, idée reçue, idem, idempotent, ident, identic, identical, identical proposition, identical rhyme
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for idempotent

idempotent
/ (ˈaɪdəmˌpəʊtənt, ˈɪd-) /

adjective

maths (of a matrix, transformation, etc) not changed in value following multiplication by itself

Word Origin for idempotent

C20: from Latin idem same + potent 1
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