discriminant

[ dih-skrim-uh-nuhnt ]

noun

, Mathematics.

1. a relatively simple expression that determines some of the properties, as the nature of the roots, of a given equation or function.

discriminant

/ dɪˈskrɪmɪnənt /

noun

1. an algebraic expression related to the coefficients of a polynomial equation whose value gives information about the roots of the polynomial

   b² – 4ac is the discriminant of ax² + bx + c = 0

Other Words From

• dis·crim·i·nan·tal [dis-krim-, uh, -, nan, -tl], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of discriminant¹

First recorded in 1830–40; from Latin discrīminant-, stem of discrīmināns “separating,” present participle of discrīmināre “to divide up, separate,” verb derived from discrīmen (stem discrīmin- ) “separating line, distinction,” from discrī- (variant stem of discernere; discern ) + -men, noun suffix

Example Sentences

The newly applied method uses both traditional phylogenetic analysis, discriminant analysis as well as machine learning.

From Science Daily

That track record makes it “a perfect discriminant for whether there is going to be a recession or not,” he said.

From New York Times

To construct the three-way decoders, we used an established approach based on multiclass Fisher linear discriminant analysis that maximizes the ratio of the mean variances between the different classes to that within the individual classes21.

From Nature

"Unfortunately, many of these critics can get away with just suggesting that bombing more, or being less discriminant in how we approach that, would make a difference," he said.

From Los Angeles Times

In the meantime, some sort of rule is necessary, and testosterone appears to be the democracy of sex discriminants: the worst except for all the others.

From The New Yorker