decimal system

noun

1
: a number system that uses a notation in which each number is expressed in base 10 by using one of the first nine integers or 0 in each place and letting each place value be a power of 10
2
: a system of measurement or currency in which the basic units increase by powers of 10

Examples of decimal system in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Another column dances around multiples of 10, the all-important core of our modern decimal system: 11, 21, 19, 9. — Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 20 Sep. 2024 Stokes and Collins had invented a new way to catalogue the Broad Institute’s million-molecule library—a kind of deep-learning Dewey decimal system. — Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of decimal system was in 1841

Rhymes for decimal system

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Browse Nearby Words

decimal point
decimal system
decimate
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Cite this Entry

“Decimal system.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decimal%20system. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

decimal system

noun
1
: a system of numbers that uses a base of 10
2
: a system of measurement or money in which each basic unit is 10 times larger than the next smaller unit
the metric system is a decimal system
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