coefficient
noun
co·ef·fi·cient
| \ ˌkō-ə-ˈfi-shənt
\
\
Definition of coefficient
1
: any of the factors of a product considered in relation to a specific factor
especially
: a constant factor of a term as distinguished from a variable
2a
: a number that serves as a measure of some property or characteristic (as of a substance, device, or process)
coefficient of expansion of a metal
b
: measure
Examples of coefficient in a Sentence
5 is the coefficient of y in the term 5y.
the metal's coefficient of expansion
Recent Examples on the Web
Manfred may be talk of the coefficient of restitution, standard deviation, flow visualization and other scientific concepts when publicly addressing the scientific findings. — Josh Peter, USA TODAY, "These scientists may have solved MLB's 'juiced' baseball problem," 2 Aug. 2019 This label rates a window’s U-factor, solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), visible transmittance and air leakage. — Ap Mcclatchy, The Mercury News, "Angie’s List: What to know when buying new windows," 5 July 2019 Income inequality, as measured by the Gini coefficient, has been stable since 1995, and median household income has risen sharply over the past 25 years. — The Economist, "EconomyRedistribution and innovation drive Canada’s changing economy," 25 July 2019 And in the 22 years since the former British colony returned to Chinese sovereignty, Hong Kong’s Gini coefficient, a statistical measure of economic inequality, has steadily ticked upward. — Time, "'Whenever There’s Trouble He Rushes There.' Meet Legislator Roy Kwong, the God of Hong Kong Protests," 20 July 2019 Only seven times since the metric was established in 1979 has a country achieved a coefficient of more than 20: two of those occasions have been England in the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 seasons. — 1843, "A league of their own: how English clubs conquered Europe," 7 June 2019 In a particular 24-dimensional string theory world, the j-function’s coefficients capture how strings can oscillate, while the monster controls the underlying symmetry. — Quanta Magazine, "Moonshine Link Discovered for Pariah Symmetries," 22 Sep. 2017 Not only do the sailors compare their sneak attacks to rape, but they and their superiors also understand brutalizing women while on shore as a natural coefficient of their murderous work at sea. — Adrian Daub, The New Republic, "Hulu’s Das Boot Gets Lost at Sea," 19 June 2019 But countries that are moving toward a Gini coefficient of 0 (complete equality), for example, Venezuela, are also seeing their incomes approach that same number. — Stephen Horwitz, WSJ, "Two Blueprints to Make America Great Again," 9 Dec. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coefficient.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for coefficient
coefficient
noun
English Language Learners Definition of coefficient
mathematics
: a number by which another number or symbol is multiplied
physics
: a number that is used to measure some property or characteristic of a substance
See the full definition for coefficient in the English Language Learners Dictionary
coefficient
noun
co·ef·fi·cient
| \ ˌkō-ə-ˈfish-ənt
\
\
Medical Definition of coefficient
: a number that serves as a measure of some property (as of a substance) or characteristic (as of a device or process) and that is commonly used as a factor in computations
the coefficient of expansion of a metal
— see absorption coefficient
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