modulus

[ moj-uh-luhs ]

noun,plural mod·u·li [moj-uh-ahy]. /ˈmɒdʒ ə aɪ/.
  1. Physics. a coefficient pertaining to a physical property.

  2. 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.

Origin of modulus

1
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

British Dictionary definitions for modulus

modulus

/ (ˈmɒdjʊləs) /


nounplural -li (-ˌlaɪ)
  1. physics a coefficient expressing a specified property of a specified substance: See bulk modulus, modulus of rigidity, Young's modulus

  2. maths the absolute value of a complex number: See absolute value

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

  2. maths an integer that can be divided exactly into the difference between two other integers: 7 is a modulus of 25 and 11 See also congruence (def. 2)

Origin of modulus

1
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

[ mŏjə-ləs ]


Plural moduli (mŏjə-lī′)
  1. A number by which two given numbers can be divided and produce the same remainder.

  2. 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).

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

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.