significant digits

plural noun

, Mathematics.

1. all the nonzero digits of a number and the zeros that are included between them or that are final zeros and signify accuracy:

   The significant digits of 0.01230 are 1, 2, 3, and the final 0, which signifies accuracy to five places.

Word History and Origins

Origin of significant digits¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

“It always gives me a chuckle when HUD” – the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which publishes the data – “reports it to six significant digits. It’s real misplaced precision.”

From The Guardian

She worked through every minute of what was programmed to be a three-orbit mission, coming up with numbers for eleven different output variables, each computed to eight significant digits.

From Literature

Replacing the team stats with the starting quarterbacks’ stats, we get an unfathomably even result, needing four significant digits to discern the favorite.

From New York Times

The most significant digits of the product are left in the Accumulator and the least significant digits in the In-Out Register.

From Project Gutenberg

Patrick talked about a math book that he was reading, and Joe got started on significant digits, of all things.

From Project Gutenberg