Decimal
/ˈdɛsɪməl/
Definitions
2 meaningsRelating to or denoting a system of numbers and arithmetic based on the number ten, tenths, and powers of ten.
/ˈdɛsɪməl/
Based on the number ten
The metric system is a decimal system.
💡 Simply: It's like counting with your fingers, since we have ten of them! This is a system for numbers where you use ten digits (0-9) and fractions based on tenths, hundredths, etc. Think of money – like dollars and cents – or how your phone displays numbers.
👶 For kids: A way of counting with the number 10!
More Examples
The decimal system simplifies calculations.
The price tag was listed in decimal format.
How It's Used
"Decimal numbers use a base-ten system."
"The financial system often uses decimal currency."
A fraction expressed in the decimal system.
/ˈdɛsɪməl/
A fraction expressed with a decimal point
The answer was a simple decimal.
💡 Simply: A decimal is like a little part of a whole. It uses the dot (like 0.5) to show the number's value between whole numbers. Like when you buy something and it is $1.50. The '.50' is the decimal.
👶 For kids: A number with a dot in the middle, showing a part of a whole number.
More Examples
He converted the fraction into a decimal.
Use the decimal to represent the result.
How It's Used
"The number 0.5 is a decimal representing one-half."
"The software converted the number into its decimal equivalent."
From Late Latin decimalis, from Latin decimus (tenth), derived from decem (ten). It reflects a system based on the number ten.
The term 'decimal' and the use of decimal fractions gained traction in the late 16th and early 17th centuries with the adoption of the metric system.
Memory tip
Think of the *deci*meter – a tenth of a meter. Decimal relates to the number 10.