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coefficient

American  
[koh-uh-fish-uhnt] / ˌkoʊ əˈfɪʃ ənt /

noun

  1. Mathematics. a number or quantity placed (generally) before and multiplying another quantity, as 3 in the expression 3x.

  2. Physics. a number that is constant for a given substance, body, or process under certain specified conditions, serving as a measure of one of its properties.

    coefficient of friction.

adjective

  1. acting in consort; cooperating.

coefficient British  
/ ˌkəʊɪˈfɪʃənt /

noun

  1. maths

    1. a numerical or constant factor in an algebraic term

      the coefficient of the term 3xyz is 3

    2. the product of all the factors of a term excluding one or more specified variables

      the coefficient of x in 3axyz is 3ayz

  2. physics a value that relates one physical quantity to another

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
coefficient Scientific  
/ kō′ə-fĭsh′ənt /

  1. A number or symbol multiplied with a variable or an unknown quantity in an algebraic term. For example, 4 is the coefficient in the term 4 x, and x is the coefficient in x (a + b).

  2. A numerical measure of a physical or chemical property that is constant for a system under specified conditions. The speed of light in a vacuum, for example, is a constant.

Other Word Forms

  • coefficiently adverb

Etymology

Origin of coefficient

First recorded in 1655–65, coefficient is from the New Latin word coefficient- (stem of coefficiēns ). See co-, efficient

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They added that "the performances of French clubs competing on the European stage benefit French football as whole, with France currently occupying 6th place in the Uefa coefficient rankings for the 2025-26 season."

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Over the past three years, the correlation coefficient between the XLF and the S&P 500 is 0.97, in which a correlation of 1.00 means they move exactly in unison.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 14, 2026

According to Kim, people often think first of Pearson's correlation coefficient when they hear the word agreement, since it is introduced early in statistics education and remains a fundamental tool.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2025

However, standard measures of income inequality, such as the Gini coefficient, changed little over the period.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 12, 2025

The series of equations we needed to work described the parameters of thrust coefficient, nozzle-throat area, combustion-chamber cross-sectional areas, and velocity of the gases predicted for any particular propellant.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.