Word
denominator
Phoneticsde·nom·i·na·tor
US/dɪˈnɑməˌneɪtɝ/
UK/dɪnˈɒmɪnˌeɪtɐ/
Definition
n. the bottom number in a fraction that shows how many equal parts something is divided into. It also describes a quality or interest that a group of people all share.
n. the number below the line in a common fraction, indicating the divisor. In a sociological context, it refers to a shared characteristic or standard within a group.
Examples
“In the fraction 3/4, the number 4 is the denominator.”
“The teacher explained that you must find a common denominator before adding two different fractions together.”
“The campaign sought a common denominator among the diverse voter base, eventually settling on economic stability as the primary message to unite the various factions.”
Examples
simple
“In the fraction 3/4, the number 4 is the denominator.”
contextual
“The teacher explained that you must find a common denominator before adding two different fractions together.”
complex
“The campaign sought a common denominator among the diverse voter base, eventually settling on economic stability as the primary message to unite the various factions.”
Usage
Often used in the figurative phrase 'common denominator' to describe a shared trait among different things.
Real-World Examples
“If you look at the most often assigned GCSE texts, the common denominator is a word count under 30,000.” “A common denominator in all these reactions is that my students begin to see research as a practice of knowledge-making.” Etymology
Learned borrowing from Late Latin dēnōminātor (“that which names”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/denominator