denominator
noun
de·nom·i·na·tor
| \ di-ˈnä-mə-ˌnā-tər
\
\
Definition of denominator
1
mathematics
: the part of a fraction that is below the line and that functions as the divisor of the numerator
2a
: a shared trait
a common denominator
b
: the average level (as of taste or opinion) : standard
manufacturers catering to a safely low denominator of public taste Time
Examples of denominator in a Sentence
In the fraction 2/3 the numerator is 2 and the denominator is 3.
Recent Examples on the Web
First, choose an infinitely long list of denominators. — Quanta Magazine, "New Proof Settles How to Approximate Numbers Like Pi," 14 Aug. 2019 But thanks to another of the backroom (unsavory, some might say) deals that have long been the hallmark of European politics, Von der Leyen became the common-denominator compromise choice to lead the European Union’s executive arm in Brussels. — Erik Kirschbaum, latimes.com, "She's about to be one of the most powerful women in Europe. Who is Ursula von der Leyen?," 3 July 2019 In fourth grade, the standard is students can compare two fractions with different numerators or denominators. — Jess Nocera, baltimoresun.com, "Howard schools eliminate class rank, change elementary school report cards," 26 June 2019 Some clinics, for instance, will jigger their denominator—the pool of candidates who actually underwent IVF—to create higher, more marketable success rates. — Pamela Tsigdinos, Marie Claire, "The Wild World of IVF, Explained," 1 Oct. 2018 This process allows for extremely accurate reverse engineering of the denominator representing the total player base for an Achievement percentage. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Valve leaks Steam game player counts; we have the numbers," 6 July 2018 More candidates competing for fewer votes has left Democrats grappling with both a numerator and denominator problem in Orange County. — Ronald Brownstein, CNN, "How Democrats' California dream got twisted," 5 June 2018 But this reflects the denominator rising, not the numerator shrinking: investment relative to GDP is in line with 1990s levels. — The Economist, "Six muddles about share buy-backs," 31 May 2018 When standards are voluntary, many companies will inevitably decline to adopt them, leaving workers -- particularly those with fewer skills and less ability to take their services elsewhere -- vulnerable to lowest-common-denominator policies. — Bloomberg.com, "Fed Chair Jerome Powell Testifies to Congress," 1 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'denominator.' 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 denominator
denominator
noun
English Language Learners Definition of denominator
mathematics
: the number in a fraction that is below the line and that divides the number above the line
See the full definition for denominator in the English Language Learners Dictionary
denominator
noun
de·nom·i·na·tor
| \ di-ˈnä-mə-ˌnā-tər
\
\
Kids Definition of denominator
: the part of a fraction that is below the line
The number 5 is the denominator of the fraction ³/₅.
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