quadratic

adjective

qua·​drat·​ic kwä-ˈdra-tik How to pronounce quadratic (audio)
: involving terms of the second degree at most
quadratic function
quadratic equations
quadratic noun
quadratically adverb

Examples of quadratic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web As described in my article, the BEC's quantum state acquired a geometric phase of π when it was moved around a Dirac point—a position where two energy bands take on the same value—and a phase of 2π when it was moved around another type of singularity called a quadratic band touching point (QBTP). Scientific American, 18 Oct. 2023 The proof hinges on a centuries-old principle called quadratic reciprocity that involves the squares of two prime numbers. Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2023 Ahmadi and Zhang ruled out the existence of an efficient algorithm that always finds locally optimal solutions to some quadratic optimization problems. Quanta Magazine, 1 Nov. 2021 The regression is concave and includes very significant linear (P = 3.0×10−4) as well as quadratic (P = 1.8×10−5) terms. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 26 Mar. 2010 This approach will work on any quadratic function. Patrick Honner, Quanta Magazine, 24 Mar. 2023 Gauss’s work is not just quadratic reciprocity and Gaussian curvature. Rachel Crowell, Quanta Magazine, 1 Mar. 2023 But there is a unique quadratic function that does. Patrick Honner, Quanta Magazine, 23 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quadratic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of quadratic was in 1668

Dictionary Entries Near quadratic

Cite this Entry

“Quadratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quadratic. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

quadratic

1 of 2 adjective
qua·​drat·​ic
kwä-ˈdrat-ik
: involving or consisting of terms in which no variable is raised to a power higher than 2
a quadratic expression
a quadratic function

quadratic

2 of 2 noun
: a quadratic polynomial or equation

More from Merriam-Webster on quadratic

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