noun
adjective
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Relating to a mathematical expression containing a term of the second degree, such as x 2 + 2.
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◆ A quadratic equation is an equation having the general form ax 2 + bx + c = 0, where a, b, and c are constants.
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◆ The quadratic formula is x = − b ± √(b 2 − 4 ac)/2 a. It is used in algebra to calculate the roots of quadratic equations.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of quadratic
Explanation
In math, quadratic things have something to do with squaring them — in other words, multiplying a number times itself or raising it to the second power. When you come across a math problem that includes "X squared," it's quadratic. In algebra, it's especially common to use the quadratic equation, which has this form: ax squared plus bx plus c equals 0. The word quadratic comes up in calculus and statistics, too, and it can also be used to mean "square." In fact, the Latin root quadratus also means "square."
Vocabulary lists containing quadratic
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
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Algebra
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Algebra
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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.
The paper, "Ultraviolet completion of the Big Bang in quadratic gravity," appears in Physical Review Letters.
From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026
Hence, grown-up Chris is a nomadic misfit with two talents: sharpshooting and solving quadratic equations.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2025
Our high-school nightmares are graffitied with formulas and calculus and quadratic equations, panicked pop quizzes corrected with a harsh red pen.
From Seattle Times • May 2, 2024
One especially influential Indian mathematician was Brahmagupta, whose algebraic techniques could handle any quadratic equation.
From Scientific American • Aug. 10, 2023
A child prodigy, Galton learned to read at two, was fluent in Greek and Latin by five, and solved quadratic equations by eight.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
