Meaning & use
decimal number system
Last updated
Meaning
nounsingularmathematics
A way of writing numbers using ten digits (0–9), where each place is worth ten times the place to its right.
Grammar: Usually takes 'the' and a singular verb: The decimal number system is used worldwide.
Patterns
- the decimal number system
- in the decimal number system
In the decimal number system, the number 345 means three hundreds, four tens, and five ones.
Computers use binary, but people usually count with the decimal number system.
The decimal number system makes it easy to write very large numbers with only ten symbols.
Common combinations
- base ten
- The decimal number system is also called base ten.
- decimal place
- Move the decimal point two places to the right.
- decimal fraction
- 0.25 is a decimal fraction.
Synonyms and how they differ
- decimal system
- A shorter, common way to say the same thing; it can also refer to a system of decimal currency.
- base-10 system
- A more technical term that emphasizes the base value of ten.
Word family
Commonly confused: decimal number system or binary number system?
decimal number system vs binary number system
Binary uses only two digits (0 and 1), while the decimal system uses ten digits.
Practice
In the decimal number system, what does the digit 7 in 2,745 represent?
Choose one answer.
In 2,745, the 7 is in the hundreds place, so it means seven hundreds. The other options would fit if the 7 were in a different position.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “decimal number system”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.