eigenvector

noun

ei·​gen·​vec·​tor ˈī-gən-ˌvek-tər How to pronounce eigenvector (audio)
: a nonzero vector that is mapped by a given linear transformation of a vector space onto a vector that is the product of a scalar multiplied by the original vector

called also characteristic vector

Examples of eigenvector in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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PageRank is more complicated than eigenvector centrality in part because links on the Internet are one-directional, whereas friendships in a social network are bidirectional, a symmetry that simplifies the math. Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2025 The regions closer to mainland Asia are shifted in that direction on eigenvector 2. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 24 Mar. 2011

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary eigen- (from German eigen) + vector

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eigenvector was in 1941

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Cite this Entry

“Eigenvector.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eigenvector. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

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