Meaning & use
common denominator
A shared feature, interest, or standard that connects different people or things; in mathematics, a shared multiple of the denominators of two or more fractions.
See it in a sentence
Curiosity was the common denominator among all the scientists at the conference.
To add one-third and one-fourth, first find their common denominator, twelve.
A note on using this word
The mathematical sense refers to fractions, while the figurative sense describes any shared quality linking otherwise different people or things.
Words with a similar meaning
shared traitcommon ground
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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