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irrational number
noun
: a number that can be expressed as an infinite decimal with no set of consecutive digits repeating itself indefinitely and that cannot be expressed as the quotient of two integers
Examples of irrational number in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pi as a Rational Number So is there any number base in which pi is not an irrational number?
—Rhett Allain, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024
The notion that raising an irrational number to multiple powers could result in a number with no numbers after the decimal point may seem far-fetched at first.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 24 Jan. 2024
His name is Techno Mechanicus Musk, but his parents call him Tau, for the irrational number.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023
But instead the vectors had a ratio of the square root of 2—definitely an irrational number—showing that the polyiamond arrangements weren’t periodic.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2023
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Word History
First Known Use
1551, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of irrational number was
in 1551
Dictionary Entries Near irrational number
Cite this Entry
“Irrational number.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irrational%20number. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
irrational number
noun
: a number (as √͞ 2) that cannot be expressed as the quotient of two whole numbers
More from Merriam-Webster on irrational number
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about irrational number
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