fractal

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noun frac·tal \ ˈfrak-tᵊl \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of fractal

:any of various extremely irregular curves or shapes for which any suitably chosen part is similar in shape to a given larger or smaller part when magnified or reduced to the same size

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fractal

adjective

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Recent Examples of fractal from the Web

How does our fractal shape become an ordinary surface?

— chris lee, Ars Technica, "At the boundary between chaos and order, order rules (eventually)," 6 July 2017
Fractal is running a 1,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) test plant in eastern Alberta for third-largest producer Cenovus Energy, which has yet to make a decision on whether to proceed commercially.

— david iaconangelo, The Christian Science Monitor, "Canadian oil sands industry faces innovation or bust," 20 June 2017
The Universe is a fractal running on a math equation that loops endlessly in on itself, a masterpiece of geometric patterns with no beginning and no end, and in this realization there is great freedom.

— kat bein, Billboard, "An-ten-nae Dives Deep Into Dreamy, Heady Bass With 'Medicine' LP: Listen," 31 May 2017
Other examples of nature’s fractals include clouds, rivers, coastlines and mountains.

— richard taylor, Smithsonian, "Fractal Patterns in Nature and Art Are Aesthetically Pleasing and Stress-Reducing," 31 Mar. 2017
Ostensibly simple abstractions—a square canvas inscribed with a large circle, black and gold pieces ridged like licorice, three huge panels made of nothing but shimmery blue—are like fractals, too replete with detail for the eye to capture them all.

— The New Yorker, "Jack Whitten," 31 Mar. 2017
In fact, the lake's fractal outline gives it a shoreline more than 1,900 miles long.

— ken jennings, Condé Nast Traveler, "Surprise: Lake Powell Isn't Actually a Lake," 27 Mar. 2017
That first, invitation-only session featured demos of the compact disc, the e-book and 3D graphics, and mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot demonstrated how to map coastlines using his developing theory of fractal geometry.

— john orr, The Mercury News, "New Palo Alto TEDx happens Sunday at Oshman Family JCC," 27 Mar. 2017
When seen from thousands of feet in the air, solar installations and wind turbines become abstract works of art: a glinting fractal of metallic petals circle a single pale stamen, and sharp, slender flowers tower above the earth.

— rachel brown, National Geographic, "The Energy of Tomorrow Looks Strikingly Artistic from Above," 23 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fractal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

This term was coined in 1975 to describe shapes that seem to exist at both the small-scale and large-scale levels in the same natural object. Fractals can be seen in snowflakes, in which the microscopic crystals that make up a flake look much like the flake itself. They can also be seen in tree bark and in broccoli buds. Coastlines often represent fractals as well, being highly uneven at both a large scale and a very small scale. Fractal geometry has been important in many fields, including astronomy, physical chemistry, and fluid mechanics. And even some artists are benefiting, creating beautiful and interesting abstract designs by means of fractals.

Origin and Etymology of fractal

borrowed from French fractal (adjective), fractale (noun), from Latin frāctus (past participle of frangere "to break, shatter") + French -al ¹-al, -ale ²-al — more at ¹break

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1975

See Words from the same year