numerator

noun

nu·mer·a·tor ˈnü-mə-ˌrā-tər

ˈnyü-

: the part of a fraction that is above the line and signifies the number to be divided by the denominator

: one that numbers

Example Sentences

The numerator in the fraction 3/5 is 3.

Recent Examples on the Web Still, that would be a pretty high number, even if the numerator were average rather than Brobdingnagian profits.

Shawn Tully, Fortune, 26 May 2022 Our economy won’t keep growing for long unless both this numerator and denominator are growing.

Andrew Tisch, Forbes, 7 June 2022 Around third grade, most of us learned a fraction has two parts—the numerator is the number on the top and the denominator is on the bottom.

Andrew Tisch, Forbes, 7 June 2022 Still, that would be a pretty high number, even if the numerator represented average rather than Brobdingnagian profits.

Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 June 2022 In theory, the value of a stock is determined by a formula that has future dividend payments (or cash flows) in the numerator and an interest rate in the denominator.

John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 14 May 2022 The question involves fractions that feature a 1 in their numerator, like , or .

Quanta Magazine, 9 Mar. 2022 If the denominator becomes a bigger number, so will the numerator, the thinking goes.

Marla Broadfoot, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2022 The Index will be higher, obviously, with fewer laws in the denominator or with more rules in the numerator.

Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 19 Jan. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'numerator.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.