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Synonyms

rounding

American  
[roun-ding] / ˈraʊn dɪŋ /

adjective

  1. round or nearly round.

  2. of, relating to, or used for making something round.

  3. turning, curving, or circling around.

  4. pertaining to the mathematical process of rounding.

    a rounding error.

noun

  1. the act or process of making something round.

  2. Mathematics.

    1. the process of replacing a number by another number of approximately the same value but having fewer digits.

      To the nearest dollar, the rounding of $27.68 yields $28.

    2. a similar process that specifies one of various rules. Generally, the number is first truncated to one or two digits more than is desired; then the last one or two digits are adjusted in a specified way in order to reflect the magnitude of the original number. In rounding the final digits, 0–4 are simply dropped, 6–9 are dropped after the preceding digit is increased by 1, and 5 is handled in various ways depending on the surrounding digits and the particular convention being followed.

rounding British  
/ ˈraʊndɪŋ /

noun

  1. computing a process in which a number is approximated as the closest number that can be expressed using the number of bits or digits available

"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

Etymology

Origin of rounding

First recorded in 1545–55; round 1 + -ing 2, -ing 1

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.

City, meanwhile, have to face Europe-chasing Everton and Brentford, as well as rounding off the campaign at home to Champions League contenders Aston Villa.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Those who didn’t answer aren’t shown; totals might not equal 100% due to rounding.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

He posted seven home runs, 32 RBI and a .269/.407/.900 slash line over his 36 games in the Dodgers organization, rounding out his season at double-A Tulsa.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

The Swiss duo of Marianne Fatton and Jon Kistler claimed silver, 11.86sec behind, with Spain's Ana Alonso Rodriguez and Oriol Cardona Coll rounding out the podium.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

He sprinted after the girl, just catching sight of her rounding the bend of the hallway outside the cockpit.

From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner

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.