Meaning & use
monomial
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Meaning
nouncountablemathematics
A mathematical expression that is a single term, made of a number, a variable, or their product.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a monomial' or 'two monomials'.
Patterns
- a monomial in x
- the product of two monomials
In algebra class we learned that 7x² is a monomial.
The expression 3xy is a monomial because it has only one term.
When you multiply two monomials, you multiply the coefficients and add the exponents.
Word forms
| plural | monomials |
|---|
Common combinations
- monomial expression
- A monomial expression contains no plus or minus signs.
- degree of a monomial
- The degree of a monomial is the sum of the exponents of its variables.
- multiply monomials
- To multiply monomials, multiply the numbers and add the powers.
- a monomial in one variable
- 5x³ is a monomial in one variable.
Synonyms and how they differ
- term
- A term is any part of an expression separated by plus or minus signs; a monomial is specifically a single term on its own.
Word family
- monomial adjective
- Describing an expression that consists of a single term.
- binomial noun
- An expression with two terms, such as x + 2.
- polynomial noun
- An expression with one or more terms added or subtracted.
Commonly confused: monomial or polynomial?
monomial vs polynomial
A polynomial can have many terms; a monomial has exactly one. Every monomial is a polynomial, but not every polynomial is a monomial.
Practice
Which of these is a monomial?
Choose one answer.
3x²y is a single term, so it is a monomial. The others contain plus or minus signs, so they have more than one term.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “monomial”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.