lowest common denominator

noun

Mathematics.

1. least common denominator.

lowest common denominator

noun

1. Abbreviation: LCD.  lcd. Also called: least common denominator. the smallest integer or polynomial that is exactly divisible by each denominator of a set of fractions

lowest common denominator

1. The least common multiple of the denominators of a set of fractions. For example, the lowest common denominator of 1/3 and 3/4 is 12.

lowest common denominator

1. The smallest number that can be divided evenly into two other numbers (see common denominator). When fractions with different denominators are added together, their denominators have to be made the same; thus, fractions with denominators of nine and twelve have thirty-six as a lowest common denominator. Seventy-two and 108 are also common denominators for fractions with denominators of nine and twelve, but thirty-six is the lowest.

The term lowest common denominator is often used to indicate a lowering of quality resulting from a desire to find common ground for many people: “This fall's TV programming finds the lowest common denominator of taste.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of lowest common denominator¹

First recorded in 1935–40