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scalar

[ skey-ler ]
/ ˈskeɪ lər /

adjective

representable by position on a scale or line; having only magnitude: a scalar variable.
of, relating to, or utilizing a scalar.
ladderlike in arrangement or organization; graduated: a scalar structure for promoting personnel.

noun

Mathematics, Physics. a quantity possessing only magnitude.Compare vector(def 1a).

Nearby words

  1. scala, la,
  2. scalability,
  3. scalable,
  4. scalade,
  5. scalage,
  6. scalar field,
  7. scalar multiplication,
  8. scalar product,
  9. scalar triple product,
  10. scalare

Origin of scalar

First recorded in 1650–60, scalar is from the Latin word scālāris of a ladder. See scale3, -ar1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for scalar

scalar

/ (ˈskeɪlə) /

noun

a quantity, such as time or temperature, that has magnitude but not directionCompare vector (def. 1), tensor (def. 2), pseudoscalar, pseudovector
maths an element of a field associated with a vector space

adjective

having magnitude but not direction

Word Origin for scalar

C17 (meaning: resembling a ladder): from Latin scālāris, from scāla ladder
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 scalar

scalar

[ skā′lər ]

A quantity, such as mass, length, or speed, whose only property is magnitude; a number. Compare vector.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.