Meaning & use
lowest terms
Last updated
Meanings
nounpluralmathematics
The form of a fraction in which the top and bottom numbers have no common factor except 1.
Grammar: Always used in the plural; it usually follows 'in' and often comes after 'reduce' or 'write'.
Patterns
- in lowest terms
- reduce a fraction to lowest terms
- write a fraction in lowest terms
The answer 6/8 should be written as 3/4 in lowest terms.
To reduce 15/20 to lowest terms, divide both numbers by 5.
Is 7/9 already in lowest terms?
nounpluralmathematics
The simplest way of expressing a ratio or an algebraic expression, with all common factors removed.
Grammar: Used in the same way as for fractions, but the numbers or terms may be algebraic.
Patterns
- in lowest terms
- express a ratio in lowest terms
Express the ratio 12:18 in lowest terms.
The expression 4x/8y simplifies to x/2y in lowest terms.
A ratio in lowest terms has no common factor left.
Common combinations
- in lowest terms
- Write your final answer in lowest terms.
- reduce to lowest terms
- Reduce the fraction to lowest terms before comparing it.
- simplify to lowest terms
- Simplify 10/25 to lowest terms.
- already in lowest terms
- The fraction 5/7 is already in lowest terms.
Synonyms and how they differ
- simplest form
- A more general everyday phrase that means the same thing for fractions and ratios.
Commonly confused: lowest terms or lowest common denominator?
lowest terms vs lowest common denominator
The lowest common denominator is the smallest number that two or more denominators divide into; it is used to add or compare fractions, not to simplify one fraction.
Practice
Which fraction is in lowest terms?
Choose one answer.
'7/10' is in lowest terms because 7 and 10 have no common factor except 1. The others can be reduced: 4/6 = 2/3, 9/12 = 3/4, and 8/14 = 4/7.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lowest terms”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.