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multiplicative identity

American  

noun

Mathematics.

  1. an identity that when used to multiply a given element in a specified set leaves that element unchanged, as the number 1 for the real-number system.

Etymology

Origin of multiplicative identity

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A number and its reciprocal multiply to one, which is the multiplicative identity.

From Textbooks • Apr. 22, 2020

What number multiplied by 2 gives the multiplicative identity, 1?

From Textbooks • Apr. 22, 2020

What number multiplied by 2 gives the multiplicative identity, 1?

From Textbooks • Apr. 22, 2020

The number 1 in its multiplicative identity is practically bedridden, leaving other numbers unchanged: 6 times 1 equals 6.

From New York Times • May 2, 2016

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.