decimal
n.a number that uses a point to separate whole numbers from parts of a whole. You use it to show values like money or precise measurements.
n.a fraction whose denominator is a power of ten, expressed by a point placed to the left of the numerator. Often used in technical or financial contexts to represent precise values.
“The price is written as a decimal.”
“When calculating the interest rate, the bank rounds the final decimal to two places for clarity.”
“In scientific computing, the precision of a decimal can significantly impact the outcome of complex simulations, leading researchers to prefer double-precision floating-point formats.”
Often used with the verb 'round' or 'convert'.
In English, a point is used for decimals, whereas many other languages use a comma.
Borrowed from Late Latin, Medieval Latin decimalis, from Latin decimus, from decem (“ten”) + adjective suffix -alis.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.