rational number

noun

Mathematics.

1. a number that can be expressed exactly by a ratio of two integers.

rational number

noun

1. any real number of the form a / b , where a and b are integers and b is not zero, as 7 or 7/3

rational number

1. A number that can be expressed as an integer or a quotient of integers. For example, 2, −5, and 1/2 are rational numbers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of rational number¹

First recorded in 1900–05