irrational number


nounMathematics.
  1. a number that cannot be exactly expressed as a ratio of two integers.

Origin of irrational number

1
First recorded in 1545–55

Words Nearby irrational number

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How to use irrational number in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for irrational number

irrational number

noun
  1. any real number that cannot be expressed as the ratio of two integers, such as π

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

Scientific definitions for irrational number

irrational number

[ ĭ-răshə-nəl ]


  1. A number that cannot be expressed as a ratio between two integers and is not an imaginary number. If written in decimal notation, an irrational number would have an infinite number of digits to the right of the decimal point, without repetition. Pi and the square root of 2 (√2) are irrational numbers.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for irrational number

irrational number

A number that cannot be expressed as the ratio of two whole numbers.

Notes for irrational number

The square roots of most whole numbers are irrational numbers.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.