denominator

noun

de·​nom·​i·​na·​tor di-ˈnä-mə-ˌnā-tər 

1

mathematics : the part of a fraction that is below the line and that functions as the divisor of the numerator

2

a

: 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

Consensus for 2026 is tracking above $304, which is now becoming the denominator for all investor valuation assumptions and return projections. —Michael Santoli, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2025

At a session in August, a teacher methodically jotted down equations with complex fractions on a whiteboard as trainees rhythmically recited aloud the steps of the process: convert to an improper fraction, add across the top, divide by the denominator. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025

As the fraction got more complicated, with more digits in the denominator, the breaks between possible energies got more numerous. —Lyndie Chiou, Quanta Magazine, 25 Aug. 2025

In other words, Villa’s recent £39m sale of academy graduate Jacob Ramsey only contributes £13m to their squad cost denominator in the 2025 calculation. —Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see denominate

First Known Use

circa 1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing denominator

• common denominator
• least common denominator
• lowest common denominator

Rhymes for denominator

• accelerator
• accumulator
• adjudicator
• administrator
• appropriator
• articulator
• attenuator
• bronchodilator
• collaborator
• communicator
• conciliator
• cooperator

Kids Definition

denominator

noun

de·​nom·​i·​na·​tor di-ˈnäm-ə-ˌnāt-ər 

: the part of a fraction that is below the line and that functions as the divisor of the numerator