adj · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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UK, US:/ˈfɹæk.təl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -æktəl
CMU ARPABET:F R AE1 K T AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Having the form of a fractal; having to do with fractals.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Exhibiting a fractal-like property.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, figuratively, not-comparable, sometimes
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A mathematical set that has a non-integer and constant Hausdorff dimension, corresponding to a geometric figure or object that is self-similar at arbitrarily small scales and thus has infinite complexity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
An object, system, or idea that exhibits a fractal-like property, such as the property of self-similarity at numerous but not infinitely many scales.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
(mathematics) a geometric pattern that is repeated at every scale and so cannot be represented by classical geometry
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: form, shape, pattern
History
Etymology
From French fractal, from Latin fractus (“broken”), perfect passive participle of frangō (“break, fragment”).
Across languages
Translations
52 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
fractal
— having the form of a fractal
Chinese Mandarin:
分形的
(fēnxíngdē)
— having the form of a fractal
Czech:
fraktální
— having the form of a fractal
Finnish:
fraktaalinen
— having the form of a fractal
French:
fractal
— having the form of a fractal
German:
fraktal
— having the form of a fractal
Greek:
μορφοκλασματικός
(morfoklasmatikós)
— having the form of a fractal
Italian:
frattale
— having the form of a fractal
Japanese:
フラクタルの
(furakutaru no)
— having the form of a fractal
Korean:
프랙탈의
(peuraektar-ui)
— having the form of a fractal
Norwegian:
fraktal
— having the form of a fractal
Polish:
fraktalny
— having the form of a fractal
Romanian:
fractal
— having the form of a fractal
Russian:
фрактальный
(fraktalʹnyj)
— having the form of a fractal
Spanish:
fractal
— having the form of a fractal
Armenian:
ֆրակտալ
(fraktal)
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Catalan:
fractal
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Chinese Mandarin:
分形
(fēnxíng)
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Chinese Mandarin:
碎形
(suìxíng)
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Chinese Mandarin:
殘形 /残形
(cánxíng)
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Czech:
fraktál
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Finnish:
fraktaali
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
French:
fractal
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
French:
fractale
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
German:
Fraktal
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Greek:
μορφόκλασμα
(morfóklasma)
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Hungarian:
fraktál
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Icelandic:
brotamynd
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Italian:
frattale
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Japanese:
フラクタル
(furakutaru)
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Korean:
프랙탈
(peuraektal)
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Macedonian:
фракта́л
(fraktál)
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Norwegian:
fraktal
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Persian:
برخال
(barxâl)
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Polish:
fraktal
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Portuguese:
fractal
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Russian:
фрактал
(fraktal)
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Spanish:
fractal
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Swedish:
fraktal
— mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales
Catalan:
fractal
— anything exhibiting self-similarity at many scales
Czech:
fraktál
— anything exhibiting self-similarity at many scales
Esperanto:
fraktalo
— anything exhibiting self-similarity at many scales
Finnish:
fraktaali
— anything exhibiting self-similarity at many scales
German:
Fraktal
— anything exhibiting self-similarity at many scales
Greek:
μορφόκλασμα
(morfóklasma)
— anything exhibiting self-similarity at many scales
Hungarian:
fraktál
— anything exhibiting self-similarity at many scales
Italian:
frattale
— anything exhibiting self-similarity at many scales
Macedonian:
фракта́л
(fraktál)
— anything exhibiting self-similarity at many scales
Norwegian:
fraktal
— anything exhibiting self-similarity at many scales
Portuguese:
fractal
— anything exhibiting self-similarity at many scales
Spanish:
fractal
— anything exhibiting self-similarity at many scales
Swedish:
fraktal
— anything exhibiting self-similarity at many scales
