absolute value

noun

1
: a nonnegative number equal in numerical value to a given real number
2
: the positive square root of the sum of the squares of the real and imaginary parts of a complex number

Examples of absolute value in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There is no absolute value to anything the first B-girl is doing. Dvora Meyers, WIRED, 9 Aug. 2024 To watch the greats (in absolute value) duke it out, yet again? Ginny Hogan, The New Yorker, 8 May 2024 That paper found that tariffs had a substantial impact on trade, reducing U.S. imports of the goods that were subject to the levies, even as the absolute value of U.S. trade with China continued to rise. Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2023 The primary sleight of hand used by Pentagon budget boosters is to measure spending not by its absolute value – how many dollars are actually being spent, adjusted for inflation – but to express Pentagon spending as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). William Hartung, Forbes, 12 May 2021 See all Example Sentences for absolute value 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'absolute value.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of absolute value was in 1803

Dictionary Entries Near absolute value

Cite this Entry

“Absolute value.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/absolute%20value. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

absolute value

noun
: a nonnegative number that is equal to a given number with any negative sign removed
the absolute value of -3 is 3
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