definitions

rational number

noun Mathematics.

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

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Nearby words

ration, rational, rational form, rational function, rational horizon, rational number, rational operation, rational therapy, rational-emotive therapy, rationale, rationalism

Origin of rational number

First recorded in 1900–05
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for rational number

rational number

noun

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

Science definitions for rational number

rational number

A number that can be expressed as an integer or a quotient of integers. For example, 2, -5, and 12 are rational numbers.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.