eigenvector
noun
ei·gen·vec·tor
ˈī-gən-ˌvek-tər 
: 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
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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 y axis represents eigenvector 1, the largest dimensions of variation in the data set, and the x axis eigenvector 2, the second largest dimension.
—
Razib Khan,
Discover Magazine,
24 Mar. 2011
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Jack Murtagh,
Scientific American,
11 Oct. 2025
The y axis represents eigenvector 1, the largest dimensions of variation in the data set, and the x axis eigenvector 2, the second largest dimension.
—
Razib Khan,
Discover Magazine,
24 Mar. 2011
Cite this Entry
“Eigenvector.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eigenvector. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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