Phrase guide

scientific notation

noun · 2 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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1

noun

Meaning 1

a method of writing, or of displaying real numbers as a decimal number between 1 and 10 followed by an integer power of 10

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

an alternative format of such a decimal number immediately followed by E and an integer

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • The number 0.00236 is written in scientific notation as 2.36×10−3 or as 2.36E-3.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: kymmenpotenssimuoto — standard format
  • Finnish: eksponenttimuoto — standard format
  • French: notation scientifique — standard format
  • German: wissenschaftliche Notation — standard format
  • Haitian Creole: notasyon syantifik — standard format
  • Icelandic: staðalform — standard format
  • Icelandic: tugveldisform — standard format
  • Persian: نماد علمی (namâd-e 'elmi) — standard format
  • Portuguese: notação científica — standard format
  • Russian: экспоненциа́льная за́пись (eksponenciálʹnaja zápisʹ) — standard format
  • Russian: экспоненциа́льное представле́ние (eksponenciálʹnoje predstavlénije) — standard format
  • Spanish: notación científica — standard format
  • Spanish: notación índice estándar — standard format
  • Turkish: bilimsel gösterim — standard format
  • Finnish: kymmenpotenssimuoto — alternative format
  • Finnish: eksponenttimuoto — alternative format
  • Spanish: notación científica — alternative format