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definitions

irrational number

noun Mathematics.

a number that cannot be exactly expressed as a ratio of two integers.

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Nearby words

  1. irradiant,
  2. irradiate,
  3. irradiation,
  4. irradicable,
  5. irrational,
  6. irrationalism,
  7. irrationality,
  8. irrationalize,
  9. irrawaddy,
  10. irreal

Origin of irrational number

First recorded in 1545–55
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for irrational number

irrational number

noun

any real number that cannot be expressed as the ratio of two integers, such as π
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
Science definitions for irrational number

irrational number

[ ĭ-răsh′ə-nəl ]

A number that cannot be expressed as a ratio between two integers and is not an imaginary number. If written in decimal notation, an irrational number would have an infinite number of digits to the right of the decimal point, without repetition. Pi and the square root of 2 (√2) are irrational numbers.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Culture definitions for irrational number

irrational number

A number that cannot be expressed as the ratio of two whole numbers.

Note

The square roots of most whole numbers are irrational numbers.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.