modulus

[ moj-uh-luhs ]

/ ˈmɒdʒ ə ləs /

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noun, plural mod·u·li

[moj-uh-ahy]. /ˈmɒdʒ ə aɪ/.

Physics. a coefficient pertaining to a physical property.

Mathematics.

that number by which the logarithms in one system are multiplied to yield the logarithms in another.
a quantity by which two given quantities can be divided to yield the same remainders.
absolute value.

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Origin of modulus

1555–65; <Latin: a unit of measure; see mode¹, -ule

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use modulus in a sentence

The moduli of Young and of simple rigidity lend themselves readily to quantitative laboratory experiments.
College Teaching|Paul Klapper
The intensities of the reflected and transmitted lights are the squares of the moduli of these expressions.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 6|Various
The songs of the Wandering Students were in a strict sense moduli as distinguished from versus; popular and not scholastic.
Wine, Women, and Song|Various

British Dictionary definitions for modulus

modulus

/ (ˈmɒdjʊləs) /

noun plural -li (-ˌlaɪ)

physics a coefficient expressing a specified property of a specified substanceSee bulk modulus, modulus of rigidity, Young's modulus

maths the absolute value of a complex numberSee absolute value

maths the number by which a logarithm to one base is multiplied to give the corresponding logarithm to another base

maths an integer that can be divided exactly into the difference between two other integers7 is a modulus of 25 and 11 See also congruence (def. 2)

Word Origin for modulus

C16: from Latin, diminutive of modus measure

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

Scientific definitions for modulus

modulus

[ mŏj′ə-ləs ]

Plural moduli (mŏj′ə-lī′)

A number by which two given numbers can be divided and produce the same remainder.

The numerical length of the vector that represents a complex number. For a complex number a + bi, the modulus is the square root of (a2 + b2).

The number by which a logarithm to one base must be multiplied to obtain the corresponding logarithm to another base.